Fred Armisen Accepts Maverick Award for Natasha Lyonne at IndieWire Honors

Natasha Lyonne has ever been an creator who marches to nan hit of her ain drum. First emerging arsenic a teen prima successful films for illustration “But I’m a Cheerleader,” she has developed into 1 of Hollywood’s apical hyphenates aft co-creating and starring nan Netflix clip loop drama “Russian Doll” and nan Peacock enigma bid “Poker Face.” Her gravelly, unapologetically intelligence persona has go genuinely iconic, and she continues to beryllium her expertise to use it to aggregate genres.

That unsocial versatility earned her nan Maverick Award astatine nan 2025 IndieWire Honors. While she was incapable to be nan ceremonial successful person, Fred Armisen accepted nan grant connected her behalf.

“Natasha couldn’t beryllium present tonight, but she really wishes she were here,” Armisen said. “But connected behalf of Natasha, she said convey you each truthful overmuch and she loves you all.”

But while Lyonne wasn’t connected manus to reside nan assemblage successful person, she precocious spoke to IndieWire editor-in-chief Dana Harris-Bridson astir her existent slate of projects, which includes “Poker Face” and her upcoming characteristic directorial debut “Uncanny Valley.” Unsurprisingly, she summarized nan unsocial niche that she occupies successful Hollywood perfectly. She emphasized nan domiciled that she played successful creating nan domiciled of her detective characteristic Charlie Cale, which was inspired by her ain emotion of movie noir and John Cassavetes movies.

“At nan consequence of sounding pedantic, I do deliberation it’s important to mention that — arsenic it truthful often seems pinch women — personification assumes a characteristic was created for them,” she said. “Let’s beryllium really clear: That ne'er occurred. This characteristic exists because, for illustration immoderate bully old-fashioned entrepreneur, I saw a void.”

“In modern times, location were nary women moving astir for illustration Philip Marlowe connected our screens. Surely, that was a spread I could fill,” she continued. “I knew cipher was casting maine arsenic a ‘Roller Girl’ type, you cognize what I mean? That’s Heather Graham’s part, and Meryl Streep had her section. Well, I recovered excavation successful nan basements of YMCAs and Murray Hill successful Manhattan, wherever I would watch a batch of noir films unsocial successful nan mediate of nan time aft I dropped retired of Tisch.”

The IndieWire Honors event took spot astatine NeueHouse successful Hollywood connected Thursday, June 5 arsenic hosted by comedian and “Hacks” breakout prima Robby Hoffman. Other honorees for nan evening included Ben Stiller, Colin Farrell, Ramy Youssef, Julianne Nicholson, Kathy Bates, and more.