Natasha Lyonne Enters Her ‘Night Moves’ Gene Hackman Era in ‘Poker Face’ (VIDEO)
You’ll love riding shotgun with accidental detective Charlie Cole (raspy-voiced Russian Doll star Natasha Lyonne) as she crosses the U.S. in her muscle car, solving murders while running from a hitman, Cliff Legrand (Benjamin Bratt) in Peacock’s new series, Poker Face.
Legrand’s reason for chasing Charlie is revealed in the casino-set premiere of the noir-inspired series from Rian Johnson (Knives Out), and it relates to her special talent: she can tell when people are lying. In each installment, she stumbles into a killing; and her sense of justice compels her to stick around to solve it.
Charlie’s never far from danger, and that constant peril is one thing that has always drawn Lyonne to noir sleuths. “You find yourself in sticky situations. I remember as a kid seeing [Jack] Nicholson with a Band-Aid on his nose in Chinatown and thinking like — ah that’s the job I want!” the actress says.
Each case is tinged with dark humor and social satire, well-played by some big-name guest stars, including Chloe Sevigny as a rocker trying to recapture long-gone glory days; S. Epatha Merkerson and Judith Light as rebellious residents of a senior citizens’ home. Plus: Nick Nolte, Ellen Barkin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and lots more.
In the video above, Lyonne shares more about the show, which she dubs a “how catch ‘em” not a “whodunit” in the style of one of her TV detective heroes, Columbo.
Poker Face, Series Premiere, Thursday, January 26, Peacock
