With Russian Doll, Natasha Lyonne has already created a character so iconic, they’ve become a Halloween costume. (And if you’re queer, the uniforms from But I’m a Cheerleader also make for an easy and recognizable ’stume.) Now with Poker Face, her new series with Knives Out writer-director Rian Johnson, the goal is to create one of the great TV sleuths. “We would often talk about that,” Lyonne said on the Poker Face red carpet. “You gotta make choices that you’re going to be able to potentially live with for a while.” Lyonne said that she looked to actors like Bill Murray, Jeff Bridges, Gene Hackman, and her beloved Peter Falk for character work that is simultaneously “close enough to the bone, but then specific to the story.”
Johnson said the big “aha!” moment when developing Charlie Cale, Lyonne’s ersatz detective character, was tapping into Charlie’s loving nature. “It was a big revelation for Natasha. We were searching for the character, and she said, ‘Oh, this character likes people,’” he said. “And I think that was kind of a new thing for her to play. She’s played more cynical characters in the past, not someone who has a genuinely sunny outlook on life. And when you mash that together with the natural tanginess of Natasha’s basic character, it creates this really appealing blend.” Lyonne described some of her past character type as a “city slicker,” something Charlie needed to move away from.
Lyonne says Poker Face came from meeting Johnson at a book release for his wife, author and You Must Remember This podcaster Karina Longworth. From there, a friendship was born. Johnson said he decided he wanted to make a mystery show with Lyonne after seeing what she’d created with her show Russian Doll. “It’s not anything specific,” he said. “It’s kind of the opposite of that. You know it when you see it. Movie-star energy, people have it or they don’t when you see them onscreen. With Natasha, I found myself drawn to just watch her. A show like this definitely needs that.”
You need a likable character at the center, because most crime-solving shows are secretly work-coms. It’s The Office, only instead of selling paper, you’re solving murders. “These crime-of-the-week shows have a lot in common with sitcoms; it’s really a hangout,” Johnson said. “You’re coming back to hang with these people next week. You’re coming back to see Peter Falk nail some rich asshole. I want to come back and hang out with Natasha every week.”
This story has been updated.
