Natasha Lyonne's Childhood Gave Her A "High Emotional IQ" | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

I am very impressed by I feel like you. were running your life almost from a. very early age right and this is this. kind of made you would you say that. that's what made me the fact that you. had to be so self-reliant so early don't. you think that that had something to do. with yeah I often uh worry about my uh. you know I have uh such good friends. that they're all such terrific parents. and uh and I worry about the kids you. know what I mean because.

I you know having alcoholic up. suicidal mental patient parents right is. really really helpful for uh character. development um and uh yeah you your eyes. are wide open to the the full uh scope. of The Human Condition at an early age. so you have a a high emotional. IQ um I used to think it me I should. like join the CIA or something but later. in therapy discovered it was actually.

just in hyper vigilance of constantly. being you know terrified and assessing. situations so it's not really that I was. uh reading the room so well and could U. retain clues or random pieces of. information it's just um clocking things. you kind of have to to survive yeah and. yes by like I think like by six probably. uh yes at our friend uh we saw each. other at pe's Memorial at Paul Ruben's. Memorial yeah.

and uh I think I. did. Playhouse when you were a you were a. child actor and you did's Playhouse yeah. yeah and so I guess and I love love Paul. MH uh but he was like I remember he was. one of the first guys uh that you know. he took me to a steak dinner I talked. about this at the. memorial and uh um when I got out a a. rehab he was one of the first people.

that was like oh hey let me take you out. to dinner and it meant so much to me. yeah um we had stakes in the valley. someplace and I was like wow I'm really. back and uh and I guess he had been. through so much mhm that uh he sort of I. think you know uh Susan Terrell from Fat. City they used to say that about her. that she would also sort of like collect.

underdogs you know what I mean like and. hold them tight there's some people in. this town that are really like that and. it's a very special thing um cuz most. people are just like well how do not. want to be Associated proxy or I don't. and Paul said to me uh oh I was never. surprised when I saw all those like. pictures of you in the gutter or. whatever you got to remember I I Met. Your. Mother and it was pretty wild because. she stage mom then very much uh less of.

a stage mom more of like a stage nut job. and uh. so I think uh I honestly I don't I. don't have a mind that can recall. sufficient force uh what it was like um. exactly but and they're not bad people. my parents you know it's like they're. just uh very untreated uh like in other. words so many things in our modern times.

um whatever this year is um um I'll say. 2024 I uh you know discussions happen. about sort of uh mental health and kind. of whatever you know uh epigenetic. footprint what have you like people. understand that that's a working part of. a dynamic of being a person a a high. functioning person or recovery or. whatever it takes and so I sort of well. only because they're dead um now I kind.

of love them you know what I mean I. think we have distance too I mean that's. the ultimate distance actually oh yeah. it was such a relief when they died uh I. uh like it's funny that uh people don't. really tether the two but it's like as. soon as they died I was like okay now. I'll do show businesses so it's really. only in like the last decade uh up to. then I was mostly trying to avoid it. because I I didn't want these kind of. like lindsy Lohan figured parents in my.

life on page six you know so I was like. I'll just stay here in the shadows until. they die and kind of work a little bit. here and there do you really think you. did that because you've worked a lot. you're starting with Orange is the New. Black and you're doing Russian. doll poker face poker face and it's just. like there you've had this unprecedented. run of. creativity do you really think that that. was made possible because your parents.

I I I think it's empirical um I just. yeah it was a very you know it's like. PTSD um which is uh my my only uh. diagnosis and a shocking twist because. you'd think I was insane in so many. other confirmed ways um which I believe. I am I just can't get a. diagnosis uh I think they're wrong but. uh you know. and you don't really take medication I. guess you do I whatever anyway um but.

yeah like for me I would I experienced. them as as boogey men you know what I. mean and like in my Waking Life and in. my night terror life like because they. were insane you know um and so I. had to get like a restraining order from. my dad or whatever um I remember being. really brokenhearted uh how old were you. when you got a restraining order from. your dad I well I was older already. because like when I was younger it was.

harder I had tried like he would show up. at things like uh I remember beu. Phillips in the 9s told me like yeah. your dad came to set today and it was. like a remember that weird James James. Brooks move no what's his name uh Jim. toek anyway with Mike Tyson in it um is. something black and white do you. remember this movie I vely do. remember this from the 90s I've never. seen it um could you uh Google that.

thank he's also making you an Airline. reservation oh thank you so so much. really really important uh and maybe. it's called black and white or something. said James took well well you you you. struggle with that a while and I I'll. stay here you're just giving him tasks. to keep him busy yeah I just like to. stay I just like to stay where is. Uranium on the uh on the elemental chart. yeah and uh so uh well anyway she told. me uh oh your dad showed up to set today.

looking for you he just assumed since it. was a shooting in New York City and Mike. Tyson was in the movie that you were in. it too it's called black and white oh it. is uh thanks and uh then but there was. nothing I could do about that kind of. thing then um but years later I guess I. was uh probably 30 or something uh which. is weird because I'm 27 now. someone you there was a singularity and. then there was a hole in space yeah and.

so. don't if you see something say something. yeah definitely yeah hey and give a hoot. don't. pollute well anyway but it's important. these are the truths a lot of truths are. coming out here and like don't Google it. okay all right whatever you do um I like. the idea of this you're just starting to. vigorously uh lie about my age and it's. definitely on. Google and but so anyway then later I.

was doing this play it was like a a Mike. Lee play and I remember I I was so. excited um and uh you know Mike Lee was. there and then I remember seeing my dad. from across the room like somehow he had. found um he had done that also with uh. slums of Beverly Hills like I remember. cuz you were you were a kid when you did. that yeah I guess I was like 17 18 yeah. and but I remember he like showed up to. the premiere but hadn't seen him in like.

uh a decade or something and he was and. he just showed up yeah and he was like. Hey bambo and you know my dad was a. boxing promoter um and uh from from. Brooklyn uh which is why I never. understand why people want to move there. um like no the goal is to get out of. Brooklyn uh but you know they think it's. hip it changed a lot well uh did it you. know what I mean I'd argue it's still. not in Manhattan. uh so on as a baseline you know.

geographically speaking has it changed. oh I see they got some coffee shops. congratulations oh but you still. right so like you mean I can't I the one. joy in New York is you can come. and go as you please there's like. there's no claustrophobia or commitment. uh Brooklyn is is a commitment. like you need a an Uber a Subway a met. show cart a taxi or a very long walk so.

anyway then I remember him being uh. seeing him across from the mik Le and. just broke I broke my heart slums. Beverly Hills um I remember Rosie per. Rosie Perez and Marissa to kind of like. consoling me in the bathroom it was like. three of the thickest accents you'd ever. heard and they just like yo Natasha like. you don't need this don't. let him bring you down like you. you don't got to go through this like. you know like just do whatever.

you got to do but this is your night. it's your night you know and. don't let that haunt you. and um so he was up like that and. my mother was just uh nuts nuts but they. weren't really like bad people and. anyway now that they're dead I. feel safe to kind of really be out there. and um I don't care anymore you know. it's funny cuz you had all this success. early on then you just. decided uh cuz clearly they said to you.

at some point all right so what do you. want to do now I was reading some. interview with you we said like I don't. want to be on Dawson's Creek I don't. want to do I don't want to be on the WB. that's not what I want um which I think. you know 99% of people in that situation. would have said how do I get on that. kind of reality and that's not what you. wanted no and uh yeah I did not want. those things like and and I remember my. mother being like like why would you. turn down by Cofe it's such a Big Show.

and like when are you going to get a. boob job so you can work and I was like. H yeah I'm just not putting that in. my tits ma like I am not she was like it. would even you out cuz you got that ass. I was like well thanks. and my God but like I think that this is. the talk I never had with my parents. this is the b in the Beast talk no. that's what they told. me.