Why 'Orange Is The New Black' Needs Some Natasha Lyonne-Jason Biggs Scenes
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It's a testament to the engrossing nature of Orange Is the New Black that it basically never occurred to us that the show features TWO American Pie stars. Jason Biggs, as incarcerated onetime drug mule Piper's (Taylor Schilling) fiance Larry, and Natasha Lyonne, as the prison's junkie philosopher Nicky Nichols, didn't have any scenes together in season one, and it's hard to imagine why they would so far. But after we saw them interact on the red carpet of the PaleyFest: Made in New York OITNB panel on Wednesday night, we are starting a petition to make Jenji Kohan contrive to put them together.
"She's my favorite; I love Natasha," Biggs told us. He seemed genuinely pleased that OITNB has fueled a comeback for the Lyonne, who took a long break from the spotlight due to a drug problem. "She deserves it. She's awesome. She's one of the most talented people I know. She's so smart and funny. I'm glad to see her do so well."
This is despite the fact that he later whacked her in the chin with our mike.
"Jason! The violence!" she complained to him. "The thing with Jason Biggs is, the words 'restraining order' comes to mind. He's a violent person. It's very hard for me to work with him. For some reason in my career, I've been destined to continue to work with him against my will on multiple occasions. And I'm not going to tell you I like it, 'cause I don't."
Joking aside, Lyonne actually told Interview magazine that the two of them hadn't really been friends before OITNB. "I had such limited exposure to Jason during all those American Pie movies, that when I was spending time with him on this show I was like, 'Holy sh--, you're a really funny person!' " she told the magazine. "Legitimately, I had no idea. ... His text-messaging skills are really in another level. Having this weird, shared history has been pretty fun --- this is the most Jason Biggs I've gotten in all those f---ing years."
At the panel, Biggs demonstrated that humor with lengthy answers that cracked up his co-stars, especially Kate Mulgrew (Red). But mostly it's at events like PaleyFest that he really gets to interact with the ladies, some of whom he never even met on the set. "Most of my scenes are with Taylor, so it's kind of like we're making a different show," he told moderator Elvis Mitchell, and someone joked that he needed to do a spinoff of Larry's own prison stay --- that or get a sex change, a la Sophia.
Hmmm, maybe let's just keep Larry in Brooklyn.
[Photo: Getty Images]