Natasha Lyonne

Summary

Podcast Summary: Good Hang with Amy Poehler Featuring Natasha Lyonne
Release Date: June 24, 2025
Host: Amy Poehler
Guest: Natasha Lyonne
Produced By: The Ringer

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Introduction

In this vibrant and heartfelt episode of Good Hang, Amy Poehler welcomes the multifaceted actress, writer, and director Natasha Lyonne. The conversation weaves through Natasha’s early life in New York City, her deep friendships, and her journey in the entertainment industry, culminating in the creation and success of the acclaimed series Russian Doll.

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Early Life in New York City

Natasha Lyonne opens up about her formative years growing up in Manhattan. She shares vivid memories of living under the ground floor near Curry in a Hurry at Lexington and 28th, highlighting the gritty and bustling environment of New York during her childhood.

[19:12] Natasha Lyonne: "I was a Ford model. Later, I moved to close-ups. I remember casting rooms in Midtown. Also my mother."

Natasha reflects on the challenges of being a child actor, managing adult responsibilities at a young age, and navigating the complexities of life without the modern conveniences like cell phones.

[22:35] Natasha Lyonne: "We didn't have cell phones. We didn't even necessarily know how to use a yellow pages. You just had to sort of, like, know how to kind of sit still and have a sense of where they might reappear."

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Friendships with Ronan Farrow and Jeremy O. Harris

Amy introduces her guests Ronan Farrow and Jeremy O. Harris, two of Natasha’s closest friends who provide fascinating insights into her character and life. Ronan describes Natasha as a blend of wild intelligence and generosity, creating an "ideal friend."

[04:21] Ronan Farrow: "She has more intellect in her left pinky than most departments of major universities have. She is truly the most... wild intelligence and wild generosity combined into this sort of atomic bomb of, like, the ideal friend."

Jeremy adds a humorous touch, emphasizing Natasha’s role in community building and her ability to make everyone feel special.

[07:26] Jeremy O. Harris: "And that's why I think she's been the ideal... egg donor for my future sperm."

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Journey in the Entertainment Industry

Natasha delves into her early acting experiences, from child roles in commercials and Pee-wee's Playhouse to more significant parts alongside industry legends like Christopher Lloyd and Walter Matthau.

[14:24] Natasha Lyonne: "I'm somebody who's always had this weird chip on my shoulder that I need to shake. It's no longer serving around, like, being a tough guy or being bad or cursing."

She discusses the emotional toll of child acting and how mentors like Nora Ephron played a pivotal role in her personal and professional development.

[25:03] Natasha Lyonne: "Clea and I recently finished a script... and I was like, no, no, no. So Nora and I were very close."

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Collaboration with Amy Poehler and the Birth of Russian Doll

Amy and Natasha reminisce about their collaborative efforts, particularly the genesis of Russian Doll. They discuss how the show emerged from their shared desire to explore deep emotional narratives through a quantum physics lens.

[36:40] Natasha Lyonne: "It's really about this dual timeline kind of thing... creating family and all this kind of stuff."

Their brainstorming sessions, filled with creativity and mutual respect, led to a series that resonated deeply with audiences for its unique storytelling and emotional depth.

[35:15] Natasha Lyonne: "If we just kept talking about the bigger ideas... that's how we started getting to this idea of you could go to the same party over and over again."

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Mental Health and Community Building

Natasha speaks candidly about her struggles with mental health and addiction, emphasizing the importance of community and support systems. She highlights how creating meaningful connections can be a lifeline during difficult times.

[04:24] Ronan Farrow: "Natasha's the answer to everything, Ronan."

[05:43] Natasha Lyonne: "Sometimes, if you can do what Natasha Lyonne does to the people you love around you and just, like, keep at them and make it happen, I think that is actually the most meaningful way we can form community."

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Directing and Poker Face

Transitioning from acting to directing, Natasha shares her passion for the craft and the fulfillment she finds in guiding projects like Poker Face. She describes directing as a team sport that allows her to stay connected and in control of the creative process.

[56:58] Natasha Lyonne: "And what's amazing about Poker Face especially is, like, I am with the crew. Like, in other words, like, me and Rob Harlow, the Dolly grip, we're making the show together. Like, I fucking love that dude."

[54:03] Natasha Lyonne: "Just feels like I'm in my right place. Like my feet are where they're supposed to be."

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Personal Insights and Daily Practices

Natasha offers a glimpse into her daily routines that help her maintain balance, such as swimming and meditation. She discusses how these activities ground her and provide mental clarity.

[46:55] Natasha Lyonne: "I have a swimming pool and I'm a swimmer... Some reggae, you know, Brian Eno involved. Depending, like, you know, I'm catching a vibe that way."

Additionally, she touches on her fascination with quantum physics and how it influences her creative work.

[40:45] Natasha Lyonne: "I'm a big science person... double slit experiment is very much the kind of concept behind why Charlie and Nadia die at the same time all the time."

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Humor, Laughter, and Mental Well-being

The conversation emphasizes the therapeutic power of laughter. Natasha recounts moments of uncontrollable laughter with friends that serve as essential relief from daily stresses.

[50:25] Natasha Lyonne: "It's shocking that literally, like, hard laughing where you will forget where you are and go to a third space."

Amy and Natasha discuss the importance of humor in coping with life's challenges, highlighting how it acts as a form of "major medicine."

[50:33] Natasha Lyonne: "It's major medicine."

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode winds down, Amy and Natasha express their deep mutual respect and affection. Amy recommends listeners read Heartburn by Nora Ephron and watch its film adaptation, underscoring the impact Ephron had on Natasha's life.

[59:26] Amy Poehler: "Natasha talked about so many things, but she mentioned something that I wanted to just remind listeners about as we plunge into our polar plunge at the end of the show. And that is the book Heartburn by Nora Ephron."

The episode closes with heartfelt goodbyes, celebrating the enduring friendship and creative partnership between Amy Poehler and Natasha Lyonne.

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Notable Quotes

• Ronan Farrow ([04:21]): "She has more intellect in her left pinky than most departments of major universities have."

• Natasha Lyonne ([36:40]): "It's really about this dual timeline kind of thing... creating family and all this kind of stuff."

• Amy Poehler ([17:58]): "I can't get too precious about anything, and you get athletic in terms of, like, practicing coming up with an idea."

• Natasha Lyonne ([50:25]): "It's shocking that literally, like, hard laughing where you will forget where you are and go to a third space."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Good Hang offers an intimate look into Natasha Lyonne's life, her creative genius, and the profound friendships that shape her journey. Amy Poehler masterfully guides the conversation, allowing listeners to connect deeply with Natasha's experiences and insights. Whether you're a fan of Natasha's work or seeking inspiration from her resilience and creativity, this episode is a must-listen.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the meaningful dialogue between Amy Poehler and Natasha Lyonne.

Transcript

[Amy Poehler]

This episode is brought to you by Pure Leaf iced Tea. You know that point in the afternoon when you just hit a wall? Yeah, same. It's three o' clock in the afternoon. You know, you have so much work ahead of you and you just want to take a nap. Well, that is why you should keep pure leaf iced tea in your fridge. It's real brewed tea from real tea leaves with bold flavor and just enough caffeine to snap you back into it. Next time you need to hit the reset button, grab a pure leaf iced tea. Time for a tea break. Time for a pure leaf. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. I am so excited about our episode today. It is with the sweet, dreamy, and brilliantly smart Natasha Lyonne. We talk about so many things today. It is a symphony of conversation. We talk about what it was like to live in New York City as a young kid. We talk about Nora Ephron and how important she was to Natasha. We talk about making hits together and what it felt like to be part of a show that meant so much to us and to so many people. And so it is a really interesting, funny and deep conversation like it always is with Natasha. And to be guided as to what I should ask. I always like to check in with people who know Natasha well, who have worked with her, who count her as family. And so I asked two of Natasha's closest friends to join me and give me some questions to ask. And so joining me right now via Zoom Zoom, is Ronan Farrow, journalist, podcast host of the new podcast Not a Very Good Murderer and playwright, actor, screenwriter and creative director of the Williamstown Theater Festival, the great Jeremy O. Harris. Ronan. Jeremy, Hello. Woo hoo hoo. This episode is presented by Athleta. Summer is here. It's time to get outside and get active. And Athleta has just what women need to move the way they want. That's shorts for every type of run, from a casual jog on the beach to a competitive road race. There's skorts for on the court and pants for cool stretching. And there's always a matchback bra and top to complete your outfit. For stylish, innovative activewear, the choice can only be Athleta Power of she shop now@ athleta.com first of all, let me start.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Where are I?

[Amy Poehler]

Where am I talking to? Where are you, Jeremy, in the world?

[Jeremy O. Harris]

Oh, my God. Do you want. I don't want to embarrass myself, but I. So I'm trying to get a very popular actress to do A movie I'm producing. So I am. I'm still with her at Jack's wife's Frida with the director, and I'm in the bathroom of Jack's wife's Frida on University.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, my. So you're in the bathroom of a restaurant trying to secure an actress for a project.

[Jeremy O. Harris]

Yes. I'm a girl boss like you, and I'm just trying to make sure all.

[Natasha Lyonne]

My side hustles, like, very, very good.

[Amy Poehler]

I love it. Always hustling, always moving forward, never looking back. Perfect. And then. Ronan, where are you?

[Ronan Farrow]

I am in my. My home office on the Lower east side. Not trying to convince a glamorous actress of anything right now, but, you know, the day is young. I could find an actress to try to persuade in some way.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, maybe.

[Ronan Farrow]

I'm gonna try to keep up here. Jeremy's a lot to keep up with.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, I have so many questions, and I hope, by the way, that both of you come on so I can get in in depth about what you're both. I mean, you're both such interesting, brilliant people. And I guess my question is what? You know, when you think about Natasha and you think about her in the world, a person in the world, like, how. How. How would you. How would you describe who Natasha is as a person and a friend?

[Ronan Farrow]

Jeremy, you want to start?

[Jeremy O. Harris]

I would say she has more intellect in her left pinky than most. Than most departments of major universities have. She is truly the most. And yet she has this great ability of making you feel like the biggest star ever, even at your lowest. So it's like wild intelligence and wild generosity combined into this sort of atomic bomb of, like, the ideal friend.

[Amy Poehler]

Mm, that's so well said, Ronan.

[Ronan Farrow]

My sense of as kind of a broken person from a broken home, in some ways myself, is that that runs very deep. And you know her deeply, and so I think you could ask her about that on a profound level where she is searching for a sense of family and successfully creating it. I mean, that's the main thing that I would add to this conversation. Natasha, for all the ways she's, like, riotously fun and eclectic in the things she does and the people she surrounds herself with, and it's a wild ride being around her. She also. She is family to those dear to her. And, like, I really became more deeply close with her in a period of my life where I was at a low point and she didn't even really have a way of knowing that, but I was, like, profoundly broken and lonely and all of a Sudden we went from being acquaintances to her being, like, every night, you know, come dinner time. Jeremy's very familiar with this. So you'll get a text from her being like, what are we doing? Who are we screw? You know, and then it's like, Natasha's wild circus, you know, is. Is off to the races. And through that persistence and that kind of, like, lack of traditional boundaries, she's not indiscriminately that way. But when she decides, like, no, this. This is a real one, and I want to give them my emotional space and time, it's such a gift because she really, like, pulled me out of a moment of isolation and gave me a meaningful sense of family and all of a sud. We went from, like, 0 to 11, 11 being, like, spending the holidays together, you know, and I was like, bring her to meet my family. We were going on vacations sometimes with Jeremy, it is a real gift, and it's something that I've learned from. Like, if you. In our busy lives with all these different distractions and things going on that prevent reflection and prevent deeper community, sometimes, if you can do what Natasha Lyonne does to the people you love around you and just, like, keep at them and make it happen, I think that is actually the most meaningful way we can form community in a time when we really need it, we really need it individually, we really need it as a country. So Natasha's the answer to everything, Ronan.

[Jeremy O. Harris]

See, this is why it's so annoying that you went second because you're so. I would have made mine better had I known that you were going to give literally, a mini.

[Ronan Farrow]

Yeah, you know, screw Jeremy's superficial bullshit answer.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Community building. Okay?

[Amy Poehler]

What you guys seem to be to her, tell me if I'm wrong, is there's a very fraternal energy with you and Natasha. Like, do you feel like her brother, her wife, her lover, her mother? Like, where. What if this is a family? Who are you? To her?

[Ronan Farrow]

In the many group chats I'll give, like, I'll send that clip of Oprah talking about Gayle King where she's like, she is the mother I never had. She is the sister everybody wants. She is the friend none of us deserve. Like, she is all of those things.

[Jeremy O. Harris]

And that's why I think she's been the ideal, like, you know, sort of like egg donor for my future sperm, which is something Ronan and I have fought over. Like, who gets to take the Natasha eggs? I think that, like, you know, in a society where eugenics is coming back in fashion, Natasha and I would make super babies, as would she and Ronan.

[Amy Poehler]

That's so true. That is. That's a future.

[Ronan Farrow]

A Jeremy Natasha baby would be gorgeous.

[Amy Poehler]

Beautiful future world we can all envision right now in our heads. Amazing. Amazing. Also, I want to change this podcast to just Jeremy walking through the streets of New York and us falling.

[Ronan Farrow]

Wait, what's happening with your actress while you're strolling?

[Jeremy O. Harris]

So sorry. She's outside having a cigarette with the director and I thought they were leaving.

[Amy Poehler]

She's a pan to her just so we can see.

[Ronan Farrow]

Yeah. Is she.

[Jeremy O. Harris]

I can't. Until she says yes. I can't let you know.

[Ronan Farrow]

But you've got to put a post production coda on this episode.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I will if we.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes, if. Get her involved, please. But for right now, we're just going to change her face into a cat and we'll. We'll reveal it if she says yes. Thank you both so, so much. You know, I have to say that one of the nicest things about this is the feedback I get from guests who feel very seen and loved when we ask people who love them to join. So I have no doubt that Natasha is going to be so thrilled that we talked because like you said, she's a connector and I think she's just gonna just. So I thank you and on behalf of Natasha, I thank you for jumping on today. I know you're both so busy. Thank you so much.

[Ronan Farrow]

I really love her. I hope it was helpful, did her justice in whatever small way I can because she's important to me. She's been a real lifeline to me.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I love her too. I love her too.

[Jeremy O. Harris]

Thank you so much, Amy. You're the best.

[Amy Poehler]

Thank you so much, cuties. This message is brought to you by Apple Card.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

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[Natasha Lyonne]

It's so tight.

[Amy Poehler]

It's so tight. And also I. I want to put it in a.

[Natasha Lyonne]

If you want to know anything about the history of Russian doll, the tightest vaginas in the game came together.

[Amy Poehler]

We're with Natasha Leone. She's joining us now. That's right.

[Natasha Lyonne]

You know, brief history of time. It's like Stephen Hawking said, the universe expands and contracts, and that's what you need to know about women in cinema.

[Amy Poehler]

And nobody can get from vagina to Stephen Hawking faster than Natasha Leone. So, Natasha Lyonne, you're here. We have known each other for quite a while now. I would say coming up on maybe 20 years in some way.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I would say maybe coming up on 30, which is an exercise I'm not proud to have recently done with our friend Clea Duvall. You know, Clea directs this season. Last season, she played my sister. She's my best friend. Big crush on Polar forever and rightfully so. Put me in a sandwich. Everyone's married. That's not how it works, guys. Fantasy. So Clea directs this season. Does a great job. No spoilers, but she does direct Method Man. Who's my favorite? No offense.

[Amy Poehler]

Fantastic.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I mean, we have the same sense of humor.

[Amy Poehler]

The guest list on that show is incredible. I have an image of you, a memory of you coming by ucb. And of course, I knew who you were. And I have this image of you being, like, at the time, feeling like you were seeming and presenting quite shy. Like, gentle and shy. Like, we didn't really.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I was stoned.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, yeah.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I don't smoke pot anymore. And I was probably drunk. And I haven't had a drink in 20 years. But I'm thinking about it today.

[Amy Poehler]

So we met. Do you remember when we first met?

[Natasha Lyonne]

So our friend. So Jake Fogelnest.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes, Jake.

[Natasha Lyonne]

So I was like, 16.

[Amy Poehler]

You were 16 then.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I was 16. And Jake Fogelnest was 16.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow.

[Natasha Lyonne]

When I was 15. He's very popular now. Have you heard of Woody Allen? Mm. Okay. So I did this film called Everyone says I Love youe. Woody Allen was my dad. Goldie Hawn was my mother. I finally felt seen thanks to that on set Tutor. I discovered the surrealist movement, Apocalypse Now, Our Darkness. I mean, so many things changed through that tutor. Anyway, I was 15, left behind with a guardian because my mom was well. And so I lived underneath or on the ground floor, so I guess adjacent to Curry in a Hurry, which is on 28th and Lexington. And this woman, she was a criminal attorney. Her name was Ruth. She worked at an office with Jake Folness. Dad. Criminal Attorneys at Law, I'm guessing it was called. And for some reason it was like, oh, both these kids are like, 15, 16. And Jake had that show on. Was it MTV?

[Amy Poehler]

He had, like an MTV show where he was like, a young fan interviewing, like, the Beastie Boys.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah, BJORK Yep.

[Amy Poehler]

He had really good guests. And Jake is a really sweet, tender, learned guy who liked a lot of things and liked showing that he was enthusiastic about a lot of things and was a writer and creator at a young age.

[Natasha Lyonne]

And so sort of the basis for Wayne's World, if you've ever. So Wayne's World is about these two guys and. But he was kind of the basis of that, like, you know, a sort of public, broad. What is it called?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, public access.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Public access show in his mom's bedroom as a kid. So he's sort of like this, you know, young prodigy. I was doing this movie. We were introduced. And the point is, is that Jake was a comedy. Like, I was never a comedy nerd. I would say I'm still not, frankly. I just. But he was sort of my gateway drug. And so he was the one that knew about UCB. He was the one that was bringing me to SNL. And I think that I was about 16. Wow.

[Amy Poehler]

So you were 16? Yeah. Cause I do remember a sweet and, you know, like a. Yeah, a younger, quieter version of you then. And it was. I remember you coming around with these big eyes and, like, observing a lot of stuff that was happening there and being very sharp and funny and everyone loving your work already, and you. But you being, like, just even back then where when you're in the room, people want to head towards you like moth to flame. You have a electricity about you, and you did then. And I remember that.

[Natasha Lyonne]

And you're really taking me back. Like, I'm pausing and taking those to McManus.

[Amy Poehler]

Right. I want to take a minute because I remember that. And also, it was like. It takes me back to a much younger time, too. We were, like. We were only a few years apart, but it felt like a long. We were. I don't know. I felt like an old age.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Well, because to me, you felt like just this rock star. Just because, first of all, I've never been a stage person, so figure I've been, you know, acting since I'm 4. I just turned 21, 46. And so at that point, I had been a child actor. I'd been on Pew's Playhouse.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Very famously. I was Dennis the Menace's babysitter. And Dennis the Menace, okay, not that famous. Christopher Lloyd and Walter Matthau were there. Didn't know who I was. Small part. And, you know, so I'm just saying, I always say this to, like, Christina Ricci or Macaulay Culkin. I'm like, yeah, but you guys were child Stars. I was a child character actor.

[Amy Poehler]

I see.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

That is different. You're right. That is different.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah. So I wasn't really, like, exposed at that level, but emotionally, the kind of tether that we all have. Or Haley Joel Eisman is this season in Pocaface Peacock. So he is also a child star. There's like, this unspoken way that we look at each other in the eyes, and we're just like. I know that you have been alert and awake since you were 4 years old, and so have I. So specific. It's eerie.

[Amy Poehler]

Mm.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Cause it's like that means I was doing the family taxes at 12 years old. I was like, you know, there's a lot that goes along with that.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Of paying the bills, being alert, knowing how to, like, present to adults.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. There's a big price to pay for that. And also access that you get at an age that you may or may not be ready for.

[Natasha Lyonne]

So a long way of saying, by the time I'd seen you on stage doing, like, ascat, I was in shock just because my life had been, like, I'd done 60 commercials, and I had been for three seconds on screen. And as the World Turns, you know, some episodes of Pee Wee's Playoffs, some weird movies I made, you know, but, like, you just bound it up there. Even your show recently with Tina, it's sort of this thing that I was just like, what is this? Cause I was not a theater person. I've never taken an acting lesson. You know what I mean? So it was like, what is this weird athletic sport of confidence where it's.

[Amy Poehler]

Just so much running?

[Natasha Lyonne]

Well, it's just that it's inside of you. I learned so much from you and from Fred about that. This abundance idea of an endless supply, probably. I think that you guys get from dress rehearsal at SNL where you throw out genius ideas and just move on to the next day instead of lingering on something like a diary entry. Oh, my God, I wrote a sentence.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. It's funny you say that. I do feel that one of the things about that training is you can't believe that your good idea is your last good idea. And in fact, throwing it away is like a power move to remind you that the next good idea is right behind it. You cannot get too precious about anything, and you get athletic in terms of, like, practicing coming up with an idea. Cause I'm at a point now, I don't know about you, but I feel like sometimes we make the idea king, and I'm much more into people and process. I Think an idea is what it is. It can be shined to be this beautiful idea. It can be totally dull in the wrong hands. But an idea is not as important a concept, is not as important as people and process for me.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I hear you. So much so that in that whole exercise they do in pitch meetings of why now? Or something, or like, what's it about? It's kind of like, hey, babe, just so you know, Amy and I could make a show right now about this pair of sunglasses. It doesn't fucking matter. And the reason why now is because whatever where you and I are at in this moment, emotionally, that we're is, you know, saucy for us, or to use your word, juicy, right? Will make this pair of sunglasses go live on that story. And, you know, it's. But it's. It's but a prop for our kind of inner nowness or something of what we find interesting. And it'll be filmed in either black and white or color or, you know, on 16 or AI generated. Who gives a fuck? Like, it's really gonna be about where we're at emotionally. It's not actually. It's all in the execution and the human beings that you're doing it with. It's not actually the idea.

[Amy Poehler]

That's right. When you talk about young Tash, can you give me a little, like a snapshot of young Natasha in New York City walking around? Like, what did it look like when you were seven, eight, nine, walking around? What did your New York look like? Where were you?

[Natasha Lyonne]

She's thinking to herself, and this is where I get mixed up, okay? Because I couldn't tell you if I've seen too many movies dusted. Not on pcp, on dust. Have you guys ever just tried rod dust? You go to the film forum, you just put your fingers along the side of the seat and you just wave it gently in your periphery.

[Amy Poehler]

Just dust. New York dust.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Oh, man, that's just New York. Pure dust. It's not even. It's not even a. Have you guys ever snorted ether? It's crazy. So anyway, I couldn't tell you, okay, if it was De Niro and Taxi Driver or it was me in Times Square as a 7 year old is what I'm trying to say. Amy Poehler.

[Amy Poehler]

I want it.

[Natasha Lyonne]

But I have a memory being left behind at various castings in my mind. There's this alcoholic figure, let's call him dad. And I'm there. I'm at an audition or like, you know, I was a child model. That's probably why I posed so well.

[Amy Poehler]

Now there we get to it.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I was a Ford model.

[Amy Poehler]

There we get. Okay, that's it.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Later, I moved to close ups. I remember him. Casting rooms in Midtown. Also my mother.

[Amy Poehler]

Mm.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Paul Rubens so lovingly said to me, when he took me to a steak dinner in the Valley after rehab, he said to me, oh, Natasha, don't worry about it. I was never shocked when things went south. You're gonna be okay. But it was inevitable. You gotta remember, I met your mother. So it was a real comfort for me that there was a witness to that time in my life. The only other one I really have is, I guess I have Gabbie Hoffman and Natalie Portman and Lucas Hask, because they were also in that Woody Allen movie where already I had a guardian. And by the way, my mom is awesome and so is my dad. They're really brainy, wonderful people. I would just say that the big discovery of modern times is we have treated versus untreated mental health, addiction, whatever. Now that's the revelation. It's like there's no shame in whatever your mental health or addiction or whatever else it's about, you know, are you treated or untreated? Like, are you experiencing a cycle of shame where you refuse to get help for it or are you doing your best, you know, in the day you're in one day at a time to kind of address it. I just think they didn't know. Like, honestly, I think it was the 80s. There was a lot of cocaine around, and I just think that was the best they could do. You know, I forgive them for it. Cut to the end of the story. I do recall a lot of me in Midtown. Sort of like, I'd go into the audition or the modeling, casting, commercial or print, and when I came out, sort of like, where are they? You know what I mean? And sort of like walking around Midtown. And this is where I can't remember if it's me or De Niro and Taxi Driver because now it's such a cleaned up hood with Disney. Back then. There was a lot of.

[Amy Poehler]

It was a lot of stuff.

[Natasha Lyonne]

So I remember being kind of like, street wise. Cause like, if you just sort of. You had to. You know, kids, we didn't have cell phones.

[Amy Poehler]

Right.

[Natasha Lyonne]

We didn't even necessarily know how to use a yellow pages. You just had to sort of, like, know how to kind of sit still and have a sense of where they might reappear.

[Amy Poehler]

Right. And be big and small at the same time. Yeah, yeah.

[Natasha Lyonne]

And know how to, like, there's this De Niro quote that I read about getting recognized in New York. He's like, I'm a professional. If I want to get recognized and I need a seat at a restaurant, I just, you know, put on my De Niro face, throw my shoulders back, and I'm a famous guy. And if I want to walk through Manhattan and have some peace of mind, I just disappear into myself and I become part of the wall, you know? Yeah. So for some reason that really resonated with me. And I think even as a kid, I sort of learned how to do that of sort of like I need help versus I'm in midtown Manhattan, so I need to disappear into myself. So, you know, there's no human trafficking.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes, yes.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Essentially.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, so we do this thing on the show where we talk to people before our guest comes who may know them or like be fans of theirs or have some, you know, experience being in their lives to kind of like talk well behind their back. And they also give me questions they think I should ask you. So we spoke to Ronan and Jeremy just about an hour ago.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

About you.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Oh, did they tell you that? I tried to get shaman from both of them because I had a fantasy about having 13 children.

[Amy Poehler]

They're fighting over your eggs currently. They both succeed now.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Good luck.

[Amy Poehler]

Congrats, by the way.

[Natasha Lyonne]

By the way.

[Amy Poehler]

But wait, so Ronan and Jeremy, of course, they dearly, dearly love you, as do I. And we talked a lot about how you have this way in which you bring people together. Right. You really want to create a. A group a. A family in the way you bring people together. And you know, Ronan wanted me to ask you, which is like, do you, like, do you feel that way, like you're collecting family when you bring people into your life?

[Natasha Lyonne]

So just to say, like, yeah, because I have this wacky family of origin story where like, I mean, yeah, just, you know, the facts are they just simply don't exist. You know what I mean? Like, they exist in my mind's eye. Harrowing degrees. You and I made a whole show about it. Jeremy and I recently finished a script. Jeremy O. Harris. And. And I recently very. The most Tony nominated playwright.

[Amy Poehler]

Incredible.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah. And anyway, we just finished something and I was like, holy shit. Fiction. You know, And I was like, cause you and I have spent so much time, sort of. I've spent so much time doing self referential bits.

[Amy Poehler]

What did that feel like to write some story, a fictional story?

[Natasha Lyonne]

It was incredible. Like when I sent it out to, when I sent the email out, I was sitting at home and I was texting Chloe, and It was like 4 in the morning, so she was up with Vanya in New York at 7am for her, me, I was in the middle of the night. My hands were cramped. I had like, full carpal tunnel. And of course, there's a few of you guys that really changed my life. It's you and Nora Ephron and Jenji Cohen and Cindy Holland and like, these kind of like powerhouse women that just sort of like, appeared in, you know, the top of Act 2 of my life and said, listen, bitch, you're a writer. You know, you're a world builder. Let's go. And I was like, no, no, no. So Nora and I were very close. You know, I did her play poker together and stuff like that. But my hands and I looked and I texting Chloe and I was like, I think maybe I just sort of morphed into a type of Nora because I kicked out this, you know, fiction pilot that Jeremy and I wrote together. But it was like I was in Los Angeles alone with a dog in bed at like 4am Just kind of as a showrunner person, kind of correcting typos and synthesizing and, you know, making sure it was ready to get PDF'd.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Natasha Lyonne]

And I could feel my hands. And I was like, the spirit of Nora was sort of in me in that moment of cause remember how she.

[Amy Poehler]

Was like this New York I met Nora.

[Natasha Lyonne]

You never met her?

[Amy Poehler]

No. What was she like?

[Natasha Lyonne]

Would have loved to.

[Amy Poehler]

I know. Would have loved.

[Natasha Lyonne]

She was a real Amy Poehler.

[Amy Poehler]

What a nice thing to say, Tosh.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I mean, Nora was like, revolutionary, you know, I remember. So my first gig, heartburn. I'm just an extra asleep on a lap. Maybe Daniel Gos and Meryl Streep are getting married or something. That means Mike Nichols picked me from a Paige. It was a big deal in my house. No lines. And then about maybe when I was like, 30. So that was probably. I was 4 when I was 30. Delia Ephron and Nora wrote this show called Love Lost and what I Wore. And I said to them in midtown in one of these offices, I was like, hi, Delia. Hi, Nora. I'm not really sure what the play is. I'm not a big theater guy, although I've seen Amy and Ascat on stage. But really, I'm having some relationship problems and I feel like you guys might be to help, if that's okay. They did. I broke up with that guy. And Nora said to me, natasha, I know you're in Heartburn, but have you ever read it? And she handed me a copy and I was like, holy Toledo. Who is this human being? Because beyond this sort of image of sort of clean, you know, comprehensible images and jokes and a giant, like the heart and Blood and guts on the page of the heartbreak.

[Amy Poehler]

I had just reread Heartburn recently, a few years ago, and exactly that Tash, like, being reminded of how much Nora put herself in that story, like, really let us in, really let us into her at a time when those kind of characters felt paper thin, like she was like a blood and guts character in that piece was so amazing to read it again.

[Natasha Lyonne]

It was just so. It totally was like a tectonic plate shifting moment. And also, what? Like, I'm somebody who's always had this weird chip on my shoulder that I need to shake. It's no longer serving around, like, being a tough guy or being bad or cursing. That's really me being, you know, I'm just nervous. I'm just, you know, an introvert, extrovert kind of weirdo who's like, making it up as I go. Lifelong improviser with no training, winging it, you know what I mean? And kind of like relying on the people that I'm like, you know, are like a drowning man sees as a life preserver. Like, who the fuck is Amy Poehler? Like, I think that's safe. You know what I mean? And so for me, like, you know, Nora was. God, she's a giant.

[Amy Poehler]

And she was safe. She was safe for you.

[Natasha Lyonne]

It was also that it changed my worldview around. So, like, I'm a scholarship kid on the Upper east side. Like, so the family had some money, then they lost it. Then by the time it's me and my mom, like, alone, you know, she's divorced now on the Upper east side, and I'm 10. I'm going to this private school on the Upper east side. But we're in the wrong side of the track, sort of. Not sure if you're familiar with the film called Slums of Beverly Hills. I might be in it, but in Manhattan. Actually, it takes place in Los Angeles. In Manhattan, you also have. On the Upper east side, the good apartments are the ones on Park Avenue. And within this space, that's really rarefied air. In the fringes of it, though, you have other people there. So I had this beef with Nora. Cause I imagined her as, like, real Upper east side. She retrained my mind to understand that no kid, she would say to me, like, just Stay in the house and call the housekeeper, smoke outside. She would remind me that her parents were screenwriters. Oscar Levant, who's extraordinary. Google, you know, he was the neighbor. Like that. The history of complex humanity is so embedded into the DNA and the fabric of, like, every single individual on this earth, you know, let alone every person that presents well on camera or something. It really healed something, I think, to have her take me under, you know, Rojo Dono would say to me back then, like, you're not. You're not. The irregular sheets in the discount bin at Bed Bath and Beyond. You know what I mean? Like, not to be married to that. Tyne Daly would say to me on that production, don't be a part of the walking wounded. You know, be a foot soldier. Like, let go of the story that there's some sort of inner brokenness that you must heal, that you must be constantly apologizing for by being chaotic or taking up space or being confused. You know, you're not running on time. All my. All this kind of stress and anxiety that manifests in these ways that people don't understand. Like you, Nora. You know what I mean? Like, with these kind of, like, tethers, for me, of. It's also okay to be sane and successful and. Well, yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And, boy, were we sane, successful, and. Well, when we did Russian Doll. Right.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I mean, ish. You know, And I would say that we were insane in all the right ways.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, I think that's a good way to say it. I mean, we did a show called Old Soul, which was kind of like a straightforward sitcom based on. Loosely based on the idea that kind of what you were talking about is that at the time, you were feeling like you were surrounded by older people who were. Who you were learning something from, who were kind of, like, surrounding you and taking care of you, and you felt like an old soul. And that was an idea that we made a show that didn't go. But what a cast in that show. If we can just talk about it. You tell it. Okay. If I can remember, it was Ellen Burstyn, Richard Benjamin, Fred Willard, Rita Moreno.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Marla Gibbs.

[Amy Poehler]

Marla Gibbs.

[Natasha Lyonne]

And Greta Lee.

[Amy Poehler]

The great Greta Lee.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah. Nikki Cat Crowell with a little cameo.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Natasha Lyonne]

And Nick Thune.

[Amy Poehler]

Nick Thune. And it was so. And I remember that experience, it was kind of like, you know, one of the many times when you're doing this job, you have a heartbreak of like, is it gonna go? Is it going the way it's supposed to go? Are we feeling the way we're supposed to Feel. But I remember working with you on that was the beginning of me realizing a couple things. First, that you can do almost anything. You are able to produce and write and direct. You also are. You have this thing that the camera. The camera just loves you, Natasha. Like it, want it.

[Natasha Lyonne]

It.

[Amy Poehler]

I guess when I talk about electricity that you have, the camera is like, mommy, the camera' there's my mommy. There's my mommy. So watching you perform was an act, a lesson in acting. And then just said, I wanted to do more, I wanted to work with you more again. And then we kind of cannibalized that idea a little bit, but just kept talking about the bigger ideas of what it's like to kind of feel like you live your life over and over again, or if you get the kind of reset, what would you do with it? And what does that feel like?

[Natasha Lyonne]

And.

[Amy Poehler]

And, yeah, tell people if. What you remember about those beginning days.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Of Russian Doll to synthesize, I guess, somewhat. It's interesting that the way I remember Old Soul into Rational is. Okay. We knew each other for. We met each other around this ascat time. Right. I sort of saw you. You were like this tiny little giant, the funniest, sexiest, like, hot little blonde number who was just a freak. Like, so fucking funny. Amy Poehler. Jesus Christ. You know, so quick and nimble and like a real. Like an Olympian, like an acrobat, you know, because it was just the way you throw yourself around that stage and come up with new ideas all at once. And then, of course, snl, all those years backstage, but just kind of not that tight. We saw each other at some premiere at MoMA. We kind of had a laugh. Next day, you call me. I'm in bed watching NYPD Blue, falling in love with Dennis Franz. No, the phone's never ringing. And you say, as long as I've known, you've always been the oldest girl in the world. Should we make a show about it? Sure. Old Soul. And then the way I remember it is when that didn't go, we were crushed.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Natasha Lyonne]

And we got into a car and I remember, I think I was driving, the windows were rolled up. I was chain smoking. And you didn't like that. And you said, I still don't. Natasha, I know the show didn't go. It's really hard, but. Picture for who? Picture, if you will. My body. No picture. Picture. For a moment, imagine there was no network. There were no rules. There was no anything. What is the show that we would really want to make? What's the story we would really want to tell if we left all that aside, assuming we could do anything anywhere. And that's how we started getting to this idea of you could go to the same party over and over again. You could take everybody home thinking that something outside of self would heal you, would change you, would fix you. But no matter which iteration of this sort of exterminating Angel Benoit reference journey you would take, or the Doug Hofstadter version would be I'm a strange loop or whatever parallel path, you would still find yourself at home with you and your unresolved stuff if you didn't really face it head on. And the real goal of Russian Doll is you had always described it as it was the search for the littlest doll inside of you. That is the truth of who you are.

[Amy Poehler]

This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. What do I mean by almost? Well, you can't get a summer blockbuster delivered, but you can get a block of cheese, a cabana that's a no. But a banana that's a yes. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now for alcohol. You must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. See app for details. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Each Apple product, like the iPhone 16, is thoughtfully designed by skilled designers. The titanium Apple Card is no different. It's laser etched, has no numbers, and it earns you daily cash on everything you buy, including 3% back on everything at Apple. Apply for Apple Card on your iPhone in minutes, subject to credit approval. Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City branch terms and [e-mail] then we do Russian Doll. Big hit. What a hit.

[Natasha Lyonne]

What a hit. How fun. Remember Emmys Day? Oh my gosh. All those nominations after all that work.

[Amy Poehler]

So fun. I mean, I gotta tell you something. I haven't been on a. I've never been on a show that was a hit in real time. I've been in a show that was a slow like, oh, that's.

[Natasha Lyonne]

People love that.

[Amy Poehler]

It was a slow climb. And I've been on a lot of things that didn't and I've been in films that I felt like I added and contributed to but didn't really feel like was truly something that felt like I was a major part of and to be on a show that is.

[Natasha Lyonne]

A hit is I recommend yo strong recommend. Feels great. It's wild. And the idea that that was the thing that people responded to was shocking. Like, you know, yeah, American Pie was the number one movie in the world or something. It didn't feel like it was that close to the bone. It wasn't like I'm telling you about, you know, trauma and mommy issues and fucking, I don't know, being self destructive and wanting to take yourself out in this life and the need to move from a nihilistic lens that's placed on you through an epigenetic footprint that is the roadmap of each human being that one must forgive themselves for that may lead to sort of nihilistic self obsessed behavior that's self destructive. Transitioning into connection with another human being who's probably a stranger through a small act of kindness in a big city. And that that's the solution to your sort of metaphorical dying over and over again. Insanity defined making the same mistakes, thinking you're gonna have a different outcome. Shocking that that's what connected.

[Amy Poehler]

And it was funny, hard, fun. I mean, that feeling too. I just have to like contextualize. That was a time pre Covid.

[Natasha Lyonne]

When.

[Amy Poehler]

Netflix was taking, I think, big chances and real chances on full season orders and artists and being like, yeah, I like your. I like the package that you got. I like, I like. I trust you, Amy. I trust you, Natasha. I trust you, Leslie Hedlund. You're coming in with an idea here. Like make it and go and run it. I want more than that.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I think it was algorithmically. It was like Leslie Hedlund was sleeping with other people. There was something also like her movies combined with Parks and Rec combined with, I guess Orange is the New Black when you put it through that at the time sauce yielded. This is the budget for this many episodes. It's gonna be a low budget thing, whatever you wanna make. And it just so happened that what we wanted to make was quantum physics comedy. And so we did.

[Amy Poehler]

Now you, you, when you, you just brought up quantum physics, you're probably the only person I know who reads quantum physics, but only actor I know anyway who reads quantum physics quite regularly.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I'm assuming that can't be true, but I do. I am a. Yeah, I do find it very relaxing. It's sort of how I quiet the mind. I love things I don't understand. And over time I've even begun to understand, you know, some, you know, like small concepts or something. A double slit experiment is very much the kind of concept behind why Charlie and Nadia die at the same time all the time. Like these are sort of for the.

[Amy Poehler]

One or two people listening who don't know what the double slit experiment is, what is it?

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah, I think it's just. It's essentially the concept about what is the fabric of the universe, right? Like, are we here? You've done acid, you're Amy Poehler, you're the listeners at home, you've all done LSD or microdosing. I know what young people are into today with their mushrooms and chocolates and candy bars and gummies and whatnot. But that little feeling that you have, are we here? Yeah. Or even like what is, you know, a deep sleep REM state. What's going on? Right? Like what the hell is going on? Or when you close your eyes real tight and you open them and there's all little deep particles and stuff and it's a little bit trippy or weird.

[Amy Poehler]

Or a real pedantic version of that is like deja vu. Just that is it.

[Natasha Lyonne]

What is deja vu? Right? So a lot of people are basically after the same question, which is, what is this fabric of the universe or this sort of unseen thing that we don't. Can't comprehend? Like, are we in multiple timelines? Is it, you know, AI so advanced now that it's scraped all of our data against our will that it's actually running tests and simulations on that to actually figure out in this sort of paperclip sort of experiment type of thing of endless iterations to discover which world we should be in for a positive outcome. Like, is any of it real? The bottom line is in a day to day basis, it just doesn't fucking matter if any of this stuff exists or not because it's basically, you still gotta pay your bills, you still have responsibilities, you gotta show up, you gotta fucking take a shower, and you gotta be a person so you can't get so lost in space. But emotionally, for the purposes of Russian Doll, it was really about this dual timeline kind of thing, right? That Nadia and Allen were fractured in or in season two. It's kind of about this sort of quantum leaping, right? And it's. Carla Rovelli poses the question, why can I remember my past but I can't remember my future? So we used it in a storytelling device, as would I be able to forgive the experience that was grandfathered into me traumatically if I had a day to walk in their shoes and understand that my parent came by it honestly. It wasn't on purpose, that damage done. But all these ideas about sort of like healing and science and sort of connection and the idea that Two different individuals could exist in two different timelines, but be having a similar experience because they're tethered by something unknown that's connecting them and binding them is still also part of this idea of what we're talking about. Of, like, creating family and all this kind of stuff. Of even when you and I are not together because we're busy, I know you exist. And it feels like, you know, thank God, you know, something like that.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, listening to you is like watching a symphony. Like, the way you talk is like a bunch of instruments playing together. You have the highest aptitude for talking of almost anyone I've ever met. You're very good at talking.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Thanks, Amy. It's not my real tongue.

[Amy Poehler]

You got a tongue transplant, do you? Would you ever own a robot in your house? And if you did, what would you hope it did for you?

[Natasha Lyonne]

Let me think. So it depends, I guess, like, you know, the first thing that comes to mind. Actually, the only thing I've been thinking about since you asked is root beer, my dog. So I'm like, how is it helping root beer? Is it soft? Does root beer love it? Root beer is now 15, which is weird. Wow. I'm somebody that always thinks I'm gonna be, like, you know, dying any second, and even root beer is 15.

[Amy Poehler]

And for people who don't know, root beer is what kind of dog?

[Natasha Lyonne]

A multi poo.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Natasha Lyonne]

A rottweiler. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Bratwiler at heart. Yeah. And root beer is. Root beer is 15. Wow.

[Natasha Lyonne]

It's wild. Yeah, Because I'm like, she's even old for people years, let alone dog ears.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you have a sense of when you. You, like. A lot of your work deals with death. You're very open about thinking about it. You meditated, meditate on it a lot more than people I know. Do you have a sense of when you'll die?

[Natasha Lyonne]

Later today.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, good. Well, then let's get. Let's. Let's finish up.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I can't tell if it's gonna be, you know, I mean, like, that's what's so weird about the existential threat of AI. A lot of this stuff really is just from, you know, all the Russian doll deep dive research that I was doing along the way. And, you know, I'd be sending you articles in all hours of the night. Yeah, you gotta see this one. You know, is it a simulation, Amy?

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, and I'm always like, I think so. I think so.

[Natasha Lyonne]

And there's a joke in here, right? You're a professional. Where's the joke.

[Amy Poehler]

And I'm like, yeah. I mean, to your point, like, it that it's like you have to, like, get into the heaviness of it. And then life is a dream and nothing matters. You have to constantly flip back and forth between those two things to get.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Through the day, I think. So.

[Amy Poehler]

What do you do to get through the day that isn't like, where you're using a ton of brain? Like. So I've been asking people, like, what is the thing right now in these times where everything is quite heavy? What do you do to check out, to zone out, to, like, what do you watch or listen to? What do you do?

[Natasha Lyonne]

So, you know, I have a swimming pool and I'm a swimmer. You've seen the swim with Burt Lancaster. I swim and also, like, you know, I do some kind of, like, meditate. Like, when I wake up, I kind of.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you meditate?

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah, a little bit. You know, like, I've done the TM course and. But I'll just sort of sit there and I'll kind of like zone out, look at the trees, watch root beer run around, you know what I mean? And then do some laps. And then if it's a more sporty day, you know, there might be some, you know, reggae, you know, Brian Eno involved. Depending, like, you know, I'm catching a vibe that way.

[Amy Poehler]

When you're swimming. Can I ask you more questions about swimming? When you're swimming, what's going through your head?

[Natasha Lyonne]

I think a lot of lately about. I'm just a big science person, I guess so I think a lot about how weird it is that we're animals. So I think a lot about how weird it is that, like, I'm like, this is so amphibian. Those are my thoughts when I'm. I'm like, what's going on right here? What is this move? And they call it a breaststroke. And then I'll go over here and I'm thinking about Busby Berkeley or you know how back in the 90s, I used to stay at the Chateau Marmont and Anne Meara of Mira and Stiller, you know, she'd be there and she and I would do jokes where we would swim. Be like, isn't LA funny? Look at us swimming. Like two Busby Berkeley number, you know, girls. And we would try to. Try to do synchronized swimming, but it was me and Ann Meara. We didn't succeed. And that's not captured anywhere, like. And so I'll think about that while I'm. And it's weird they Caught a breaststroke. And so what if some people do. So what do you do to storytelling?

[Amy Poehler]

So. But your mind is still going there. Your mind. Even when you're swimming, your mind is going. When does your mind.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I would say that it's. Oh, probably, you know, sport fucking. So sex. So I would say why I'm such a. I'm always, you know, saying, right. Like, hey, guys, like. Cause I think, you know, sex is a very. People like to really, you know, consider it and give all its meaning to it. I'm a little bit more German than all that. It turns out. Not German at all. But I think it's like, there's a physical. We are animals. It's important, sort of, like, medicinally, to quiet the mind through a third activity that reminds us, you know, sport, essentially, is what I mean, you know, athletics. The double slit theory, the double slut theory. And so, you know, I would just say that swimming and, you know, sexing.

[Amy Poehler]

Sexing.

[Natasha Lyonne]

And so body stuff. Like, body stuff.

[Amy Poehler]

Body stuff is what gets you. What pulls you in. I relate, like, the idea of, like, feeling grounded in your own body.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah. When do you. But do you have it in other ways?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I relate to this feeling, like, sometimes when I'm living in my head, like, I need a, like, pressure. Like, physical pressure. Whether it's like, work, swimming, or, like, physical touch. Something that, like, reminds me to get back into my body.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah. Like. And it's also like, oh, the big one, obviously, like, the reason that I, you know, I'm so in love with you and Fetch Maya, whatever, has really always been about laughing that hard is an outer. I'm telling. You're talking to somebody who's done every drug in the history of the world, including dust. At the Film Forum. I just. At New York, side of the seat, dust. And it's shocking that literally, like, hard laughing where you will forget where you are and go to a third space. Like, I'm. Where you're just like, is this even fucking the fabric of reality? I don't even remember. I can't remember what I was pissed off about.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes, yes, yes, I hear you. It is major. It's major. It's major medicine major. Yeah.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Sometimes I'm like, I'll laugh hard. And I'm like, oh, my gosh. I thought I was depressed. I just haven't been doubled over laughing in, like, you know, a week.

[Amy Poehler]

Mm.

[Natasha Lyonne]

What happened?

[Amy Poehler]

When's the last time you've laughed really hard? What have you laughed at hard lately?

[Natasha Lyonne]

Wow.

[Amy Poehler]

I. What are you laughing at right now? What's making you laugh?

[Natasha Lyonne]

I had this hang recently. Joe Lennon's a, you know, a musician and an old friend of mine. And he said, come meet this polymath. And then, you know, I went home and your voice is getting so little gentleman. And he was there. And then we kind of dissected the polymaths, the quote unquote polymaths, theories about the universe. And we sort of were able to break them down to like a moment in time where he developed a resentment against a science program. And that that's what his sort of theory of everything was actually based on. We were doubled over, laughing so hard.

[Amy Poehler]

Because you observed something about someone in real time that you.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah, and we were just laughing so hard because the idea that it was sort of couched. And you know, out here we meet a lot of people that are. I love your. When you say enough of the geniuses. Too many geniuses. Talk about that, please.

[Amy Poehler]

The word genius is thrown around a lot.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And it is. It's oppressive. The word genius is oppressive.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I mean, and it's kind of.

[Amy Poehler]

And also it's unique, primarily for men. You know, I would say, like, maybe double up on calling women geniuses and maybe dial it back a little bit.

[Natasha Lyonne]

But I think you also say that, like, enough with the geniuses. Sometimes people just need to get to work. Because geniuses have like absolutely self. Kind of like, you know, obsessed concepts or whatever. And you know, like, well, concept. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Concepts don't pay, you know, concepts don't pay the bills.

[Natasha Lyonne]

They don't get pen to paper.

[Amy Poehler]

No.

[Natasha Lyonne]

You gotta kick out of traffic.

[Amy Poehler]

That's right. And I mean, you like, you can't. You can sit in your think tank forever, but you know, like, chop, chop. You gotta make something and you gotta fail.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

You gotta get out there and try. Okay.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yes, ma' am.

[Amy Poehler]

I have one more question for you.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Okay. Dr. Love you so much.

[Amy Poehler]

But I got one more question. We should talk about Poker Face.

[Natasha Lyonne]

What a gift that you're doing this. Cause it means that we get to hang out. I mean, really, that's like.

[Amy Poehler]

That's always my favorite thing about today is I get to see you.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah. I mean, like, that's what's so funny about growing up and, you know, being these show people. I think that over time we learn. Unless you're making something with your friends, you really don't get to see them.

[Amy Poehler]

No, that's why I work is so that I can see my friends.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Also, I get a real boner in a non weird way. I know you're a taken. You're spoken for, ma' am. But you know, I get the platonic boner when I see you on set with like, your fucking. What are these called? Earbuds or some shit?

[Amy Poehler]

I call them cans.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Oh, cans. There's a real term for them. And you know, directing, producing. Like, I love seeing, you know, and I love directing. I love being at the.

[Amy Poehler]

I want to talk about Powers and.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Watching my friends do it. I'm like, oh, this is who you are. Jenixon. Bravo. You know what I mean?

[Amy Poehler]

But you directed Poker Face. Yeah, tell me about that experience. Cause it's so great. You're such. You're incredible in it. And what was your experience directing on that show? And in general, what's your experience? How much do you like it?

[Natasha Lyonne]

Yeah, I mean, I. I love directing. I know you do too.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. What do you love about.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Just feels like I'm in my right place. Like my feet are where they're supposed to be. And if you're asking me about what quiets my mind, it is. I don't know if it's the same for you, but it is. Like, that's when I hear the click. So much is happening that is so in the present moment that finally I'm like in my body and hear the click. And they also, when you're an actor, they're kind of like, do you need to pee, pee. And when you're a director and you're always just like, like, I'm in my 40s, like, I think if I had to pee. Oh, now that you mentioned it, I'm in my 40s, I totally gotta pee. Sure, thanks for reminding me. But when you're a director, nobody says you have to pee, pee. And when you go pee, pee, they don't say, are you gonna come back? They know you're coming back, you're making the movie. And when you're at the monitor, you know, when you're an actor, you're kind of sitting there and you're like, why is everyone so stressed? I'm a codependent. I can feel it. I'm like an empathy guy. I can read a room. But when you're behind the monitor, you're like, I know why we're stressed. It's because we're looking at the one liner for tomorrow with the first ad and so and so missed their connecting flight, you know, out of Austin. So it's not about that.

[Amy Poehler]

Is it as simple as control? Because what you're talking about is feeling like you gotta hand over your Control to other people or be able to be in control of how you shape your day, your project, your own experience, the time you get to go to the bathroom.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I think that that's this weird ancillary bonus. I think that for me, what it's really about is being this 360 filmmaking machine that is actually getting involved with lenses and camera positions and angles and what's in the frame and what's not in the frame and what is the actor doing and how we need to, on the fly, change that line of dialogue to reflect that or because we're running out of light. So therefore, we're gonna reposition this whole thing. And it's like, I just feel so in control. No, like, I feel like 360 activated at, like, what I was made to do as a kind of. Yes, it is in control as a conductor, but it's a conductor of, like, a frame. And it's also that, like, you know, I think what I hate being. I don't like being famous. I think it's whack. Like, I'm just saying I've been a character actor for a New York character actor for, like, you know, 40 years, and then, like, famous for six. It's super fucking weird. Like, people treat you all like you're a some. I'm like, I'm a person. I'm just winging it, too. But when you're a director, you're with. What's amazing about Poker Face especially is, like, I am with the crew. Like, in other words, like, you know, me and Rob Harlow, the Dolly grip, we're making the show together. Like, I fucking love that dude. Because the cast is all rotating. So they're. The cast is rotating, directors are rotating, writers are rotating. So it just feels like I'm one with the camera, as I should be. And really discovered that directing in Russian Nol. A real peace comes over my body where I'm like, inside of the material as an artist instead of sort of sitting outside of it, waiting for somebody to tell me, you know, this child, you did a good job. Or not. It's kind of like it's very alive. Like, I start walking like Charlie Chaplin. Cause it's. So many things are happening at once, and it's very fun. How do you feel when you do it?

[Amy Poehler]

That's exactly. You said it beautifully. Which is the idea of, like, the idea of being in community, in creativity. Creativity in community is what directing feels like. It feels like people are looking to you to have answers, but the answers lie within all the people Making the piece. That's it.

[Natasha Lyonne]

And it's really fun. The thing is that acting is so lonely.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Clea and I used to do this funny thing. She was dating a drummer. She was living in Topanga. She had like six wiener dogs. Wiener dogs. But you know, her girlfriend at the time would be in there drumming, practicing for the band, and clean. I would sit out there with those wiener dogs in Topanga and we'd be like, so fuck, we're actors. How come we don't get to do band practice? Should we jam? Should we act? That's what's so weird about acting and writing. You know, at least in draft. Not in the room. They're very lonely. Sport.

[Amy Poehler]

That's right.

[Natasha Lyonne]

But directing is a team sport.

[Amy Poehler]

I cannot wait for Poker Face. I cannot wait for that new season. I love watching you act. I love watching. I love listening to your brain. I love seeing you in person. I love being around you, Tash. I love being. I miss you too, bud. And I love being part of the weather system that is you. I love being able to get close to you any chance I can.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I'm always so ashamed. As if it's a series of weather reports. And like the big event in life is to just be like, eh, you know, no waves at all.

[Amy Poehler]

No waves. And also, I want you to know I kept this necklace safe the entire time. Cause I was nervous about it being going missing, but here it is for you.

[Natasha Lyonne]

That's so crazy because you're known kleptomaniac. Ma' am.

[Amy Poehler]

I didn't replace it with like fake diamonds while we were talking or anything. I would never do that.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Such a weird movie.

[Amy Poehler]

I love you, Tashi.

[Natasha Lyonne]

I love you, Amy.

[Amy Poehler]

Thanks for doing this. Thanks for coming.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Thanks for having me.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, man. Natasha, thank you for coming. And you're just the best. And you know, Natasha talked about so many things, but she mentioned something that I wanted to just remind listeners about as we plunge into our polar plunge at the end of the show. And that is the book Heartburn by Nora Ephron. It's an incredible deep dive character study into the breakup of a marriage. And it also was made into a film with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. I would advise reading the book and then watching the movie, but you can do it either way. But both are just these beautiful pieces of art and really honest storytelling. And Heartburn. So good. Still so good, Nora. So good. Thank you for everything that you gave us. All right, well, thanks so much for listening to Good Hang and welcome. We'll See you soon.

[Natasha Lyonne]

Bye.

[Amy Poehler]

You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by the Ringer and Paper Kite. For the Ringer production by Jack Wilson, cat Spillane, Kaia McMullen and Alaya Zaneris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. What do I mean by almost? Well, you can't get a summer blockbuster delivered, but you can get a block of cheese. A cabana, that's a no. But a banana, that's a yes. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now for alcohol you must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. See app for details.