History of Natasha Lyonne in Timeline

Natasha Lyonne is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and director, recognized for her roles in film and television. Beginning her career as a child actress, she transitioned to more mature roles, earning five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe Award nominations. Lyonne was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in 2023. In 2025, she revealed herself as the co-founder of Asteria, an AI film studio established in 2022 with Bryn Mooser, aiming to produce photorealistic animated films using artificial intelligence.

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Full Timeline

1957: Inspiration from Nights of Cabiria

Giulietta Masina's performance in "Nights of Cabiria" (1957) is one of Lyonne's favorite film performances.

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1974: Inspiration from A Woman Under the Influence

Gena Rowlands' performance in "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974) is one of Lyonne's favorite film performances.

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1979: Inspiration from All That Jazz

Roy Scheider's performance in "All That Jazz" (1979) is one of Lyonne's favorite film performances.

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1993: Inspiration from Naked

David Thewlis' performance in "Naked" (1993) is one of Lyonne's favorite film performances.

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1997: Apartment purchase

In 1997, Natasha Lyonne used her paycheck from Everyone Says I Love You to buy an apartment near Gramercy Park.

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2005: Admitted to Beth Israel Medical Center

In 2005, Natasha Lyonne was admitted to Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan, suffering from hepatitis C, infective endocarditis, and a collapsed lung; she was also undergoing methadone treatment for heroin addiction.

2005: Eviction by Michael Rapaport

In 2005, Natasha Lyonne was evicted by her landlord, actor Michael Rapaport, following complaints by other tenants about her behavior.

January 2006: Arrest warrant issued

In January 2006, a warrant was issued for Natasha Lyonne's arrest after she missed a court hearing relating to her prior legal problems.

December 2006: Stopped using drugs

Natasha Lyonne has not used drugs since December 2006, and has been open about her addiction and recovery.

2012: Underwent open-heart surgery

In 2012, Natasha Lyonne underwent open-heart surgery to correct heart valve damage caused by her previous heart infection.

2014: Began dating Fred Armisen

In 2014, Natasha Lyonne began dating comedian and actor Fred Armisen.

2015: Ally for Equality Award

In 2015, Natasha Lyonne was awarded the Human Rights Campaign's Ally for Equality Award due to playing gay characters in works such as Orange Is the New Black and But I'm a Cheerleader, and because of her advocacy for the LGBT community.

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2019: Co-founded Animal Pictures

In 2019, Natasha Lyonne co-founded the production company Animal Pictures with Maya Rudolph.

2019: Designed crossword for The New York Times

In 2019, Natasha Lyonne designed a crossword for The New York Times.

2020: Directed "Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine"

In 2020, Natasha Lyonne directed the sketch comedy special "Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine", which was the first greenlit project of Animal Pictures, the production company she co-founded.

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April 2022: Relationship with Fred Armisen ended

In April 2022, Natasha Lyonne confirmed that her relationship with Fred Armisen had ended.

2022: Co-founded Asteria

In 2022, Natasha Lyonne co-founded Asteria, an artificial intelligence film studio, with Bryn Mooser.

October 2023: Maya Rudolph's departure from Animal Pictures

In October 2023, it was announced that Maya Rudolph parted ways with Animal Pictures, leaving Natasha Lyonne to operate the company by herself.

2023: Residences in East Village and Los Angeles

As of 2023, Natasha Lyonne lives in New York City's East Village and owns a residence in Los Angeles.

2023: Auctioned off crossword puzzle experience

During the 2023 WGA strike, Natasha Lyonne auctioned off the opportunity for fans to solve a New York Times crossword with her to raise money for the Union Solidarity Coalition.

2023: Lyonne on tough guy persona

In 2023, Lyonne told a journalist that she has been stealing from De Niro her whole life, also mentioning Bette Davis, Mae West, Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Joe Pesci, and Jimmy Cagney as inspirations, and described the character in Russian Doll as the perfect mix of feminine and masculine.

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2023: Quit smoking

In 2023, Natasha Lyonne quit smoking.

May 2024: Signed deal with Sister production company

In May 2024, Natasha Lyonne, operating under Animal Pictures banner, signed a deal with Sister production company for collaboration on upcoming Animal projects.

June 2025: Public announcement of Asteria

In June 2025, Natasha Lyonne publicly announced the existence of Asteria and her position as its co-founder.

June 2025: Public announcement of relationship with Bryn Mooser

In June 2025, Natasha Lyonne publicly announced the two's status with Bryn Mooser, with whom she founded the artificial intelligence film studio Asteria.