Natasha Lyonne Is Calling Bullshit in Peacock’s New Show 'Poker Face'

Imagine having the innate ability to tell when people are lying. Would you go around calling your friends’ bluffs, catching scorned lovers in their lies, or posting up at the poker table of your local casino? Your initial answer probably isn't to piece together unsolved murders — that is, unless you’re Charlie Cale in Peacock’s new dark comedy, Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne (best known for her roles in Orange Is the New Black and Russian Doll).

But that is exactly what the quirky “desert rat” and human lie detector does while on the run from powerful and mysterious casino owner Mr. Sterling after uncovering a murder and secret pedophilia ring affiliated with his hotel. Yes, it sounds extremely dark, but Lyonne’s signature bravado gives the murder-mystery series, created by Knives Out mastermind Rian Johnson, a comedic twist.

“Rian [Johnson] had this idea about [Charlie’s] uncanny ability to sort of sniff out the truth,” Lyonne says over Zoom against a backdrop of her character’s beloved Plymouth Barracuda. “I love that idea because it's so great to have a character who fights for injustice and the little guy and believes that the truth must come out, no matter what. I often played city slickers or self-destructive types, and here was an opportunity to be somebody who was a little bit of a desert rat, sun on their face, likes people, open to ideas, and just really likes a Coors Light.”

Each episode of the series features a different cast with a new set of comical (and homicidal) circumstances that Charlie stumbles upon during her road trip. From a jealous small-town outcast to a greedy BBQ master and a washed-up band of has-beens, each scenario yields an unexpected culprit with an unusual crime who nearly gets off scot-free — until Charlie shows up and starts literally calling “bullshit” on their little fibs. 

Lyonne admits that working with a new group of actors for each episode comes with its own unique set of challenges, but according to her, Johnson’s ability to succinctly develop the show's tone helped the A-list guest stars — including Adrien Brody, Chloë Sevigny, Judith Light, Jameela Jamil, Nick Nolte, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and more — to quickly catch on.

“Actors are funny. They're a bit like musicians, so even if everybody is incredible at playing their instrument, you just have to see if you guys are in tune together,” Lyonne says. “I would say that was pretty much the case. It was like they were trying to hear, ‘Where does it fall in the pocket? What key are we playing it in almost? Is it a comedy? Is it a drama?’ [Johnson] sent me a script that was beautiful. It's so well-written, and he's so brilliant. He's a master craftsman and so funny.”

Lyonne says working with the famed filmmaker allowed them to push boundaries and add a fresh take on the murder mystery genre while keeping the overall tone light and funny — think Glass Onion's signature blend of satire, slapstick, and style.

“He and I spent so much time together just knocking on all the walls and making sure that it all stood up and that I would be playing it right, that it wasn't too far in any direction,” she says.

Lyonne and Johnson also drew inspiration from several iconic TV and cinematic detectives, like Elliott Gould’s Philip Marlowe in The Long Goodbye (whom she also tapped for her Emmy-winning series Russian Doll), Jack Nicholson’s character J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes in Chinatown, The Dude (played by Jeff Bridges) in The Big Lebowski, Gene Hackman in Night Moves, Sipowicz from NYPD Blue, and her friend Peter Falk, known for his series Columbo.

While Lyonne is admittedly bad at poker herself (though she plays the role rather convincingly), she names Alan Arkin as having the best poker face in Hollywood. “He just has a great way of telling a joke totally deadpan, and I love that guy,” she says. And on the other end of the spectrum, she cites actor Nick Kroll as having the worst — at least, until our interview had her second-guessing that answer.

“After the premiere, a bunch of us went for drinks and snacks, and somehow I wound up picking up the bill. That was the first scam. So Nick [Kroll] pulled out $100, and he said, ‘Let me help.’ I couldn't tell if he was serious," she shares. "I took the money. I put it in my bag. He took it back. I took it back. He took it back. That is what's making me think, 'in this moment, does that guy have the best or worst poker face I've ever seen?'”

The 10-part series premieres Jan. 26 on NBC’s Peacock with four initial episodes, followed by weekly episodic drops. And when it comes to a second season, Lyonne says she’s just enjoying the ride for now (in her baby blue Barracuda, of course) — though, perhaps, the seasoned actress is bluffing. “Someday, people will live in this moment. I guess I will say this: I would work with Rian Johnson for the rest of my dumb little life. That much I do know.”