Natasha Lyonne quits smoking, looks to the future

Natasha Lyonne recently opened up about quitting smoking, coming as a shock from the actress who is known for making smoking “look cool.”

Now at the age of 43, the actress has decided to better her health and put an end to the habit, and is taking the moment to also focus on propelling her career in a different direction.

Lyonne decides to quit her famous smoking habit

In a feature from Variety, Lyonne says that she’s been putting off quitting smoking for far too long.

“I’m naturally wired for self-destructive crutches. I f—--- love a vice,” she said. The actress has become so synonymous with smoking that there’s an Instagram account that is just photos of the ‘Russian Doll’ actress taking a drag. Although the account seems to have stopped posting, just in time for Lyonne’s decision to quit.

On her decision to quit, she cites the success of her career as a contributing factor.

“It might be a symptom of being in a pretty decent place,” adding:

“In a way, I want to meet that artistically and emotionally. I want to return the favor and say, ‘OK, maybe I’ll sign up for life for a little bit longer.”

Lyonne’s earliest roles are also some of her most memorable, and include 1998′s ‘Slums of Beverly Hills’ and ‘But I’m a Cheerleader’ in 1999, where she played a teen forced to attend a gay conversion camp, which also had legendary drag queen RuPaul as one of the camp’s coaches.

She later appeared in ‘American Pie’ as Jessica, alongside fellow cast members Jason Biggs, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Alyson Hannigan, and Chris Klein.

She most recently made a name for herself when she starred in the mystery-comedy Netflix series ‘Russian Doll’, which she created with Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler.

Looking to the future and embracing change

Now the actress is looking for a change in her roles, contemplating the prospect of playing more traditionally feminine roles.

“I’m curious what it would be like to soften, or to play women. I’ve been playing men this whole time. I’ve been stealing from De Niro my whole life,” she joked.

“What would it be like to let my voice register a bit higher? What would it be like to be a bit more vulnerable?”

Lyonne has also been enjoying her life as she entered her forties, which perhaps contributed to her interest in exploring different roles.

“Being in your 40s is so much better than being in your f—--- 20s and 30s. It’s so much cooler. It’s so much sexier,” she says.

“My romantic life is more happening. Back then, I was waiting to be selected. Once you’re in your 40s, you’re like, ‘Who am I attracted to?’ We’re all going to die, right? So I better get my living in quick.”