Natasha Lyonne brings her signature humor to the Spirit Awards red carpet, sharing her thoughts on independent film, her upcoming role in 'Fantastic Four' and working with Rihanna in the 'Smurfs' movie. She also reflects on her long history with the Spirit Awards, the significance of the Robert Altman Award and the importance of honoring John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands. Plus, Natasha chimes in on Hollywood's obsession with social media-based casting, her deep love for surfing and her take on today's political climate.
00:02I look over and you're talking to Patti LuPone.
00:05It couldn't get any more New York than that.
00:06Oh, yeah.
00:07LuPone and Leon nearly happened on Broadway at Glengarry Glenrush.
00:13But, you know, that'll come up tonight later when we present together.
00:17I like that I'm, you know, I'm turning into a dame.
00:22Couldn't come soon enough.
00:23Yeah.
00:26By the way, are you a beach person?
00:28And we're standing in Santa Monica Beach.
00:30This is not a normal Saturday for you.
00:32Babe, I'm a surfer.
00:34Yeah, I'm like a total ocean bunny rabbit.
00:37That's like a ski bunny ocean.
00:40And I love swimming.
00:42It's my only sport.
00:44Surfing, sanding.
00:47I love putting sand in the bed.
00:48I think it's funny.
00:50And Dad said, no, I don't really understand Santa Monica as a place.
00:55I like the pier.
00:56I'm like, well, who are you to tell me where you can smoke or not?
00:59I don't like their parking laws.
01:01And it's far.
01:02But I've been coming to Spirit Awards since 2000.
01:06So they have a special place in my heart.
01:07Yeah, I know that this is, you've been here many years.
01:11Independent film is like your jam.
01:13And the Robert Altman Award today has got to be, you know.
01:16Right.
01:17But, you know, independent film is my jam against my will.
01:21Because I like a nice aerial shot here and there.
01:24And, you know, some money for marketing and some days to shoot, you see.
01:27But it is a very, like, moving thing.
01:33I hosted the DGA Awards.
01:37They don't televise.
01:38But, you know, it was honoring Francis Ford Coppola.
01:40And, like, I got to, like, speak to him.
01:43And then tonight to receive the Robert Altman Award.
01:47Not really an indie filmmaker, by the way.
01:49But, I mean, my obsession, I was at Brewster McCloud, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, I mean, the player.
01:57So just how significant and meaningful that is.
02:00And then to be with Patty presenting the John Cassavetes Award and have the opportunity to rewrite the material and rename it the Jenna Rollins Award in her honor is all very meaningful to me.
02:13And, you know, I love Aidy, who's hosting.
02:16Like, there's just so much.
02:17It's a beautiful place, yeah.
02:20These are your people.
02:21And can I, I actually wrote down so many questions for you because I saw you were going to be here.
02:25I always love talking to you.
02:26I also love, you have so much.
02:28Look at that.
02:29You have so many good things happening in your life.
02:32You have so many good things.
02:33I crushed that.
02:34Because I'm in a Fantastic Four, so there was a lot of exercise training.
02:37I couldn't do that.
02:38Perfect segue.
02:39Who do you play?
02:42Dwayne Rock Johnson.
02:43And so that's who I play in.
02:45And I'm under heavy NDAs.
02:48I'm really sorry I said that, guys.
02:50And, yeah.
02:51So I play a character called Dwayne Rock Johnson.
02:54Yeah.
02:55For you to join the Fantastic Four, I was like, brilliant casting.
02:59Is that, was that, did you watch the last one?
03:02I mean, is this, was this something that was on your radar?
03:04No, I would say no, just to be honest.
03:07But also, I love them.
03:10And like, Pedro and Eben, you know, we go back.
03:14Eben and I go back like 20 years or something, 25.
03:18I always thought that I was older than him.
03:19I always treated him like a kid.
03:21And it turns out he's older than me, so that's a relief.
03:25And, I mean, it's like Don Malkovich.
03:27It's pretty cool.
03:28Yeah.
03:28I'm excited.
03:29I really had a nice time.
03:33Smurfs.
03:35Yes.
03:36And so Rihanna is in that, which is very exciting.
03:40A very funny thing happened.
03:42And Bryn came and he saw the artwork, because, you know, it turns out I'm not playing a Smurf.
03:49And so, you know, I'm not going to spoil my character, but suffice to say, she's no Smurfette.
03:56That said, she's in the film more than I realized, and it's a very funny character.
04:03Yeah.
04:03Did you get to meet Rihanna yet?
04:06No.
04:06And so I'm very mad about it.
04:08And so I would send an email, but, you know, life's short.
04:13No, I'm hoping that we, because we have a lot of scenes together.
04:17And, listen, I'm just a fan like anyone else, you know.
04:20I, yeah.
04:22And then I got to ask you, too, this story that broke recently, a basket full of heads, which is a great logline.
04:28A woman decapitates a bunch of men, and the heads keep talking.
04:32Yes, that's true.
04:33Yeah.
04:33And I'm a Lilian, of course.
04:35So that is really exciting.
04:36I mean, I'm just such a huge fan of her work, so, like, to get to work with her on this, I think it's going to be super cool.
04:43And, yeah, it's fun, you know.
04:46I mean, as I said, doing things I haven't done before.
04:48So that's kind of the idea.
04:51I've wielded an axe, and not once.
04:54That was Zach Nicholson in The Shining.
04:56That was a deep fake.
04:57Yes.
04:58You got the arms for it, though.
04:59You can do it.
05:00Oh, yeah.
05:00Come on.
05:01Remember, like, when it was a big deal, when, like, Holly Hunter got ripped at some point?
05:05I've been thinking about doing that for this.
05:07And, like, coming out on a lot of back lists, like, you know, check out my back work in a gown.
05:13Yeah.
05:13I'm hoping that'll be this.
05:15Yeah.
05:15And then can I ask you one other work question?
05:17You know, there was this whole swirl that happened this week with Maya Hawke and Ethan Hawke talking about actors getting cast.
05:21I thought you were going to say Maya giving Marty COVID.
05:25I was, like, a whole swirl.
05:27I was, like, easy gossip.
05:29There was a swirl of the COVID from the SNL.
05:32Yeah.
05:33Yeah, I didn't catch it.
05:35Yeah, and I was kissing people all night.
05:37But, right.
05:39Yes.
05:40It's insane.
05:41Of course, I'm on Ethan's side.
05:42And, I mean, it's utterly insane.
05:44Also, some of the best people are, like, not into it or game at all.
05:48And especially now with, you know, the data leaks and scraping the data.
05:54And, you know, I'm a sort of a futurist sort of type.
05:59So, I know a lot about things that I shouldn't be in such deep rabbit holes about.
06:04But it's really tragic.
06:08Like, I guess I think back to Harmony and Spring Breakers, right?
06:11Like, that was the first time it was on my radar, remember?
06:13Because it was like, hold on, how do you put all these people together in bikinis?
06:17It was like, well, Instagram.
06:19But they did a great job.
06:22And, yeah, it's just, it's no way to make a picture.
06:26You know that.
06:27Yeah.
06:28But it is, you know, and it's obviously nothing new.
06:30It's been happening for a number of years.
06:32And then also you wanted just other workers.
06:34How do you hope storytellers respond to this cultural moment we're in right now?
06:38And how are you navigating this?
06:40Are you ignoring the headlines?
06:42Which cultural moment?
06:45Which one?
06:45Are there so many just foreign administrations?
06:49Oh, Trump.
06:50Oh, wow.
06:51What a guy.
06:53Yes.
06:53Well, when the orange drips, I, you know, it's very weird to have, like, a showbiz guy in charge is surreal.
07:07I mean, because, well, I'm actually pretty horrified by how strategic and effective this whole thing has been.
07:20And I think there is a real disconnect in all of the noise around, like, the individuals that are going to be really taking the hits on a individual, like, a human basis in the trans community, gay community, black community.
07:38You know, women, like, the, I hate violence so much.
07:45And I just think it's, it's, that's the part of it.
07:50I, like, this country's always had, you know, insanity, but to really have, like, a death toll and be willing to do that is a pill too great for me to swallow.
08:03Like, beyond the sort of dialectic around oligarchs and whatever else, it's, like, when I think of the kids or, like, the 12-year-old girl that can't get an abortion or something or, you know, it's, that, that's what really, like, rips me apart that I, so, but, you know, this is America, to quote childish Gambino, Donald Glover.
08:26Uh, so, it's, uh, nothing we didn't know, but, uh, always a horror to see up front, and, uh, I don't know.
08:35I'm sorry to end on that, but, like, let's end on something late.
08:38It's a Saturday, it's a Saturday afternoon.
08:40Natasha Lyonne, if she weren't at the Spirit Awards, she would be surfing, sleeping, reading, eating.
08:46Right, right, and, but the good news is, have you seen his musical numbers?
08:50It's, uh, God, it's a riff.
08:52Uh, I mean, what a piece of work, this guy.
08:55What a piece of work, nice ocean from property, easy, pal.
08:59Uh, anyway, yeah, it's a nice night here.
09:03Robert Altman, uh, John Cassavetes, Patti LuPone, and, um, yeah, and, uh, you know, it's great that people are out there making movies about stuff that's important,
09:15because, uh, so long as they let us continue.
Comments