Moxie to Burn: Natasha Lyonne on Barbara Stanwyck
After more than three decades in front of the camera, Natasha Lyonne understands a thing or two about what makes on-screen charisma. Previously best known for her early-career performances in films like Slums of Beverly Hills and But I’m a Cheerleader, she has in recent years become one of the most exciting actors on TV, earning Emmy nominations for her work in the prison comedy Orange Is the New Black and the existential head trip Russian Doll. The latter series, which she created alongside Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler, has allowed her not only to showcase her talents as an actor but also to hone her skills as a director, writer, and producer.
A devout cinephile with a taste for classic Hollywood, Lyonne talks about the actors she loves with a passion that’s infectious. And among her idols is one of the dream factory’s most audacious stars, Barbara Stanwyck, whose pre-Code performances we’re celebrating on the Criterion Channel now with an eleven-film retrospective including such classics as Baby Face, The Miracle Woman, and Night Nurse. For the occasion, Lyonne spoke with me on what captivates her about Stanwyck and the pleasures this era of American cinema has to offer contemporary viewers.