The Art Of The Matter

Natasha Lyonne looks back and forwards at her multifaceted creative journey, and examines why the arts have been so vital to her life.

- Renée Batchelor

Natasha Lyonne greets us on a Wednesday afternoon from Los Angeles. On screen she is the familiar Natasha Lyonne we all know: hair a mass of curls, eyes large, brown and intelligent, and nails still done in the scarlet red, stiletto shape that was created for her photo shoot with Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore several days earlier. In Hollywood Lyonne’s face is a familiar one, having graced screens since the tender age of four, in shows like Pee-wee’s Playhouse. “I loved Paul Reuben,” she says of the late actor and comedian who played Pee-wee. As a teenager, I watched her in the American Pie series, her preternaturally wise and deadpan persona seemingly light years ahead of her hormonal peers. In person, Lyonne comes across as articulate and passionate. She doesn’t give one word answers, but long, considered responses along with being infinitely quotable.

Lyonne has many feelings about the SAG–Aftra (The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and WGA (The Writers Guild of America) strikes, the latter of which ended in September, and, in fact, has auctioned off the chance to solve the New York Times crossword puzzle with her (the winning bid was over US$6,000) to benefit the Union Solidarity Coalition Auction. Why a puzzle, we ask? “A few years ago, I actually built a crossword puzzle for the New York Times with Deb Amlen. I play the puzzle every day. And I wouldn’t say I’m fantastic, but, you know, I am consistent enough and I have actually spent time with the software building a puzzle that was published in the Times. This is my one clean joy in life that I have no reservations about… my love of the puzzle. So I really do look forward to spending time with the winner.”