Natasha Lyonne Says Russian Doll's Writers Room of All Women Gave Her Character Dimension

Natasha Lyonne is the star of Netflix’s Russian Doll, a near-perfect single season TV show that navigates existential dread and self-destruction.

Spoilers ahead.

The show does this by repeatedly killing off its protagonist, goth Groundhog Day-style, until she comes to an empathetic realization. The absurd concept was celebrated by critics and felt groundbreaking and progressive, the direct result of a writer’s room of all women.

During her keynote at a South By Southwest event this past weekend, Lyonne said the decision to hire only women writers was not explicitly intentional, Variety reports. The women were the best people for the job (go figure) and helped turn her character, Nadia, into “a 360-degree version of myself.”

Lyonne further described Russian Doll as “living reality,” and “a story about failure.” She also suggested a simple way to diversify staffs: “Be intersectional in all ways, and it will transition into gender.”