Biography for
Natasha Lyonne More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

4 April 1979, New York City, New York, USA

Height

5' 3½" (1.61 m)

Mini Biography

Natasha Lyonne is an American stage, film, and television actress. As a young child she was signed by the Ford Modeling Agency, and at the age of six she was cast as Opal on Pee-wee's Playhouse which was quickly followed by film appearances in Heartburn written by Nora Ephron, directed by Mike Nichols; A Man Called Sarge; and Dennis the Menace with Walter Matthau and Christopher Lloyd. At the age of 16, Woody Allen cast her as his and Goldie Hawn's daughter in Everyone Says I Love You alongside Julia Roberts, Edward Norton, Natalie Portman which led to appearances in almost 30 films over the next 10 years, including starring roles in the independent films Slums of Beverly Hills and But I'm a Cheerleader. Lyonne's other films included Detroit Rock City; Scary Movie 2; The Grey Zone directed by Tim Blake Nelson; James Mangold's Kate and Leopold; Party Monster; Die Mommy Die; and Blade: Trinity as well TV appearances in show including NBC's Will and Grace. Lyonne is perhaps best known for her roles in the American Pie films as the wise-cracking Jessica. After a short hiatus due to well-documented health and legal struggles, in 2008, Lyonne returned to work, making her New York stage debut in the award-winning New Group production of Mike Leigh's Two Thousand Years and in films The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle and Goyband. Since then Lyonne has steadily worked in the New York theatre scene, in film and in television. Films include All about Evil with Thomas Dekker; Abel Ferrara's 4:44 Last Day On Earth with William Dafoe; and upcoming projects Imogene with Kristen Wiig, Darren Criss, Matt Dillon and Annette Bening; The Rambler with Dermot Mulroney; Clutter with Carol Kane and Kathy Najimy; He's Way More Famous Than You written by Halley Feiffer directed by Michael Urie with Ben Stiller and Jesse Eisenberg. Recent TV appearances include the hit series New Girl and Law & Order Special Victims Unit. On stage she in the original cast of Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron's award-winning Love, Loss, and What I Wore with Samantha Bee, Tyne Daly, Katie Finneran, and Rosie O'Donnell and in the original cast in Los Angeles at Geffen Playhouse with Tracee Ellis Ross, Carol Kane, and Rita Wilson. She received rave reviews in Kim Rosenstock's Tigers Be Still directed by Sam Gold with Reed Birney, Halley Feiffer, John Magaro at the Roundabout Theatre Company and returned this past season to the New Group stage with Ethan Hawke, Gordon Clapp and Daphne Rubin-Vega in Tommy Nohilly's Blood From a Stone. Most recently she participated in New Group's benefit performance of Women Behind Bars with Charles Busch, Josh Hamilton, Cynthia Nixon, Rhea Perlman, and Rosie O'Donnell.

IMDb Mini Biography By: jodisc

Trivia

Attended Yeshiva High School in Manhattan, where she acted in a school production of "The Magic Garden."

Arrested by Miami Beach police on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. Her rented Dodge ran off the road into a traffic sign. She was arrested about 1:45am and released after posting a bond during the day. Her statement to the arresting officer was, "I'm a movie star. Can I talk to my entertainment lawyer?" [28 August 2001]

She and her family briefly lived in Israel (where she filmed A Man Called Sarge (1990)). After her parents divorced, she moved back to New York with her mother and brother while her father remained in Israel.

Rufus Wainwright's song "Natasha" is written about her.

In New York City's Beth Israel Hospital's intensive care unit. Reportedly suffering from hepatitis C, a heart ailment and a collapsed lung. [August 2005]

Was originally set to play Candy in The Devil's Rejects (2005), but was replaced by Elizabeth Daily.

Has lived on her own since 16.

Was originally cast as Audie in the film Audie & the Wolf (2008) but was replaced by Tara Price.

Personal Quotes

My life is very much in the present today. And that's what theater is all about.

Salary

American Reunion (2012)

$500,000