Natasha Lyonne is an accomplished American actress, director, comedian, producer, writer, and tech executive.
Lyonne began her career as a child actress and later transitioned into more mature roles in both film and television.
Early Life & Education
Natasha Lyonne, originally named Natasha Bianca Lyonne Braunstein, was born on April 4, 1979, in New York City.
She was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family alongside her mother, Ivette; her father, Aaron, who was a race car driver, boxing promoter, and radio host; and her older brother, Adam.
Lyonne attended a private Jewish educational establishment referred to as Ramaz School. She faced expulsion after being caught selling marijuana on school property, which led Ivette to move the family to Miami.
Natasha was enrolled at Miami Country Day School, but she left before receiving her diploma, deciding to pursue a film program at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University instead. She left Tisch before finishing her first year because she was unable to pay the tuition fees.
Natasha Lyonne’s Career
Lyonne had an uncredited appearance in the film “Heartburn” in 1986, and by the conclusion of the 1990s, she had featured in approximately twelve additional films, such as “Dennis the Menace” (1993), “Modern Vampires” (1998), and “Detroit Rock City” (1999).
In 1996, she took on a leading role in Woody Allen’s “Everyone Says I Love You,” and in 1999, she portrayed Jessica in the major success “American Pie.” Natasha reprised her character in “American Pie 2” in 2001 and again in “American Reunion” in 2012.
In 2013, Natasha Lyonne took on the role of inmate and drug addict Nicky Nichols in “Orange Is the New Black,” participating in 81 episodes throughout seven seasons and directing the episode “The Hidey Hole” in the seventh season. In 2019, she began her role as Nadia Vulvokov, a woman who dies repeatedly, in “Russian Doll.”
Lyonne’s contributions to television include various animated projects, where she has lent her voice to Smoky Quartz in “Steven Universe” (2016; 2019), Sophie in “The Simpsons” (2016; 2019), and Gaz Digzy in “Ballmastrz: 9009” (2018–present), as well as Nadia Vulvokov and Suzette in “Big Mouth” (2018–2020).
Personal Life
Natasha Lyonne was in a relationship with Edward Furlong during the late 1990s and later with Andrew Zipern in the early 2010s. In 2014, she started dating comedian and actor Fred Armisen, but she confirmed in April 2022 that their relationship had ended.
By 2022, Lyonne was in a relationship with Bryn Mooser, with whom she co-founded the artificial intelligence film studio Asteria, aimed at producing animated feature films utilizing AI tools and responsibly sourced data. Lyonne publicly announced their relationship status and plans in June 2025.
Net Worth
Natasha Lyonne is a multi-talented American actress, director, writer, and producer with a net worth estimated at $5 million. Her extensive career includes appearances in more than 100 film and television projects, such as “Slums of Beverly Hills” (1998), “American Pie” (1999), “But I’m a Cheerleader” (1999), “Scary Movie 2” (2002), “New Girl” (2011), and “Weeds” (2012).
