Natasha Lyonne Let Fred Armisen And Maya Rudolph Do Their Impersonations Of Her On Her First ‘SNL’ Hosting Gig

Natasha Lyonne was stoked to host Saturday Night Live. In her opening monologue to the final show for multiple cast members, the star and co-creator of Russian Doll gushed about her “cosmic connection” to the show. She’s friends with alumni, including her ex-boyfriend Fred Armisen and her Russian Doll co-creator Amy Poehler. And she digs its vibe. “SNL combines everything I like: New York City, show business, people who have done the same thing since the ‘70s, and different unions fighting.”

Lyonne, who will eventually be seen in the Columbo-esque murder mystery show she’s making with Rian Johnson, also gently ribbed the idea of shilling for Russian Doll at this particular moment in time. “Two things you definitely want to be associated with right now are Russia and Netflix,” she joked.

Lyonne has one of the more unique voices in showbiz, her nicotine-stained voice and Sam Kinison-esque mannerisms a throwback to a bygone era. She’s so distinct that she brought out to two SNL vets to do impersonations of her: Armisen and Maya Rudolph. When they were done, Lyonne joked about Armisen, “We were the only couple who had a sex tape nobody wanted to buy.”

She also ran through her life story, talking about how her parents decided she should be a showbiz kid, describing her style then as “a little Orphan Annie type who talks like Dee Dee Ramone.” She showed a clip from her at a very young age, appearing on Pee-wee’s Playhouse and listed her ‘90s credentials: “American Pie, American Pie 2, American Pie in the Multiverse of Madness.” (She also gave a shout-out to the LGBTQIA+ classic But I’m a Cheerleader.)

Lyonne also touched on her down period, when she struggled with “multiple arrests and addiction,” which she compared to the time Fabio was hit in the face by a goose on a rollercoaster. But, she said, she “brushed herself off and got back on the ride. And now I’m here.”

You can watch Lyonne’s opening monologue in the video above.