Natasha Bianca Lyonne Braunstein is an American actress, director, writer, and producer. She is known for playing Nicky Nichols on the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019).
For which she received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress, and for her portrayal of Nadia Vulvokov on the Netflix series Russian Doll (2019–present), which she also co-created, executive produces, writes, and directs. For the latter, Lyonne has received nominations for three Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Natasha Lyonne parents: Meet Aaron Braunstein, Yvette Braunstein
Lyonne was born in New York City, the daughter of Ivette Buchinger and Aaron Braunstein, a boxing promoter, race car driver, and radio host, distantly related to cartoonist Al Jaffee. Lyonne’s parents were from Orthodox Jewish families, and she was raised Orthodox. Her mother was born in Paris, France, to Hungarian-Jewish parents who were Holocaust survivors.
Lyonne and her parents emigrated to Israel, where she spent a year and a half. During her stay with her family in Israel, Lyonne participated in the 1989 Israeli children’s film April Fool, which began her interest in acting. Her parents divorced, and Lyonne and her older brother, Adam, returned to America with their mother.
