At a recent Power of Women event put on by Variety magazine, it was Natasha Lyonne who took to the stage as the center of attention. This is something that she has had to get very used to in recent years, as the success of her television work has blossomed.
Natasha Lyonne
Lyonne seems to be at the forefront of a new group of women that are beginning to build a very noticeable share of the critically acclaimed TV market. These are women who are regularly featured on online betting sites in markets for Emmy Awards and the like. But they are also able to consistently produce, write and act in shows that remain highly rated on all television platforms.
Natasha Lyonne
She started her acting career at the age of six on Pee-wee’s Playhouse and continued in high-profile roles on television and in the movies throughout her adolescent years before some well-documented personal problems. But she has come back even stronger and really broke through (again) in Orange is the New Black.
Russian Doll allowed her to expand her responsibilities, acting, writing, directing and producing two seasons of the hit comedy drama. More recently she has appeared as the main character in the critically acclaimed Poker Face in which her character was inspired by the classic Columbo. It seems as if there is no stopping her right now.
Issa Rae
Now a star on both small and big screen, Issa Rae first attracted attention with her YouTube series Awkward Black Girl. Her natural charm and comedic talent have won her plenty of successful roles since then and she almost guarantees that a new show will be a smash hit.
She achieved wider recognition for Insecure, which she co-wrote, co-created and starred in. She was nominated for multiple Emmys and Golden Globes for the comedy drama and has since seamlessly made the move to big romantic dramas. But she is definitely doing it in her own unique style.
Amy Poehler
This comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director really hit the big time when she won a place on Saturday Night Live. But she was introduced to a wider audience with her performance in Parks and Recreation where she played a well-meaning deputy director of parks in small town Indiana.
It was in that show that she came up with the idea of ‘Galentine’s Day’ a special day for female friendship – an event that has now become a real thing. Poehler has moved into more producing and directing work since then and actually co-created Russian Doll with Natasha Lyonne.
Quinta Brunson
Quinta Brunson is another star that started off by building a fan base on social media. Her Instagram series Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date went viral and helped her get work at Buzzfeed. She went on to create and produce shows on the web platform before leaving in 2018.
Three years later her status went through the roof when Abbott Elementary, a show she wrote, co-executive produced and starred in became a huge hit for ABC. She became the first black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series and was named in Time Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2022.
Maya Rudolph
When you are the daughter of Minnie Ripperton it might be expected that you will be successful in the arts in some way. But it is television and film that Maya Rudolph has excelled in rather than music like her mother. She is another who got her big break on Saturday Night Live – and has gone on to bigger and brighter things.
She has starred in a whole host of television shows and films and has won a number of Emmy awards along the way. She is another of Natasha Lyonne’s inner circle, joining forces to start a production company that is responsible for all their latest hits. Like all the women on this list, she is showing that women can do just about everything these days.
Tagged in Television