Biography
Early in her career, Natasha Lyonne's rapid-fire verbal intelligence and quirky, wild-haired appearance easily made her the edgiest of her teen star contemporaries. Lyonne wowed critics as Woody Allen's daughter in "Everyone Says I Love You" (1996) and reached wider audiences as Richard Dreyfuss' daughter in "Krippendorf's Tribe" (1998). Her bravura turn in the feminist coming-of-age hit indie "Slums of Beverly Hills" (1998) made her a star, and she received a major career boost from her small role in the massively successful "American Pie" (1999) and its two sequels. While cult/ indie fans found much to worship in the gravelly-voiced actress who delivered in the KISS-centric "Detroit Rock City" (1999) and the John Waters-influenced lesbian romantic comedy "But I'm a Cheerleader" (1999), Lyonne also earned mainstream success with small roles in "Scary Movie 2" (2001) and "Kate & Leopold" (2001). At the peak of her fame, however, she came close to losing her career - and her life - due to several notorious run-ins with the law, drug issues, and a bout of homelessness that resulted in extensive hospitalization. Although the window of opportunity for Lyonne to fully capitalize on her professional potential seemed to close after her self-destructive years, the fact that she continued to work - on the stage and on the screen - to rebuild her reputation and career, hinted that this unpredictable talent had an even more impressive second act up her sleeve. Indeed, Lyonne rebounded in the 2010s, co-starring in the acclaimed series "Orange is the New Black" (Netflix 2013- ) and appearing in high-profile films ranging from romantic comedy "Sleeping With Other People" (2015) and indie comedy-drama "Hello My Name Is Doris" (2015) to National Lampoon biopic "A Futile and Stupid Gesture" (2018).
