Grown Girl

She was a wild child in the ’90s. Now NATASHA LYONNE’s notorious past is helping to cement her future as a triple threat in Hollywood. Here, the Orange Is the New Black star talks with writer-producer JENNI KONNER about her new show and why the next decade will be her best yet

NATASHA LYONNE:

Jenni Konner, as I live and breathe.

JENNI KONNER: Hello! I have to tell you that I’m on the sixth episode of your new Netflix show, Russian Doll. I love it so much. We’ll get back to that. But first, do you remember how we met?

NL: I was 16, and I was with my BFF Jake, who was also 16. Jake was a huge music fan, and I was always tagging along. Your husband at the time was Beck’s tour manager. I remember us being at the Tibetan Freedom Concert, which was put together by the Beastie Boys, probably in like 1996. It was the most magical event of my 16 years. Suddenly we were hanging out on Beck’s tour bus. I didn’t really know what to do with myself, in that way that teenagers are just like, “What is a body, why do I have one, and how do I reconcile it with my mind?” And I just remember talking to you and being like, “Yeah, this is my [new] friend Jenni!”

JK: I remember you being one of the most self-possessed people I’d ever met. You’re so well read. I remember listening to you years ago on a Marc Maron podcast and being like, “She’s making some references that I don’t even know how to look up. How does she know so many things?” You were mentioning shorts by [the late Italian film director Federico] Fellini, which connects to your [new] show, right?