Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Natasha Lyonneis not exactly embracing her non-smoking journey, but she knows it’s for the best.
Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE on Thursday at the NBC Universal Emmys Kick-Off Luncheon, thePoker Faceactress and longtime smoker, 44, gave an update on how she’s doing after quitting cigarettes — admitting it’s been “a nightmare.”
“I’ll be honest. It’s the worst decision I ever made,” she teases. “Of course, my true and deep hope is that the technology will get there such that I’m able to smoke again consequence-free since it’s one of the great loves of my life.”
Natasha Lyonne.Todd Owyoung/NBC/Getty
Since giving up cigarettes, Lyonne says she has noticed a change in her life. “I’m becoming a lot softer with age,” she says. “I was like, tough for so many years — like leather, sunglasses, chain, smoking, tough guy. And I’m noticing that I’m getting much softer.”
As an example, she recalls going on vacation with herOrange Is the New Blackcostars Samira Wiley and Dascha Polanco. “We had our littleOrangetribe and some other pals with us and I just noticed how soft I am,” she recouts. “When I like look at Samira, like it makes me wanna cry cause I love her so much, you know what I mean? And she’s a mom now and she’s married and like, it’s just so crazy that there’s that sort of life evolution that happens as we know each other for years. So I notice that I’m sort of, I’m becoming a bit of a softie in my old age.”
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The SAG Award winner has been documenting her journey of quitting smoking on social media, with famous friends likeMelissa EtheridgeandLily Tomlinoffering words of encouragement.
“Hey @nlyonne I see you are quitting smoking. As a 19-yearcancer thriver, I want togive you all of the encouragement I can,” wrote Etheridge, 61, on Twitter. “Your show #PokerFace freaking rocks!! Just like #RussianDoll you are amazing! You got this!! It’s so cool!!”
Lyonne responded: “Woowowow!! Thank you!! So cool!!”
“Chin up, darling,” replied Tomlin, 83, on the post, to which Lyonne wrote: “Wow! If getting encouragement from you is a perk of not smoking —I’ll take it!”
The NYC-native previously shared a throwback selfie with a cigarette in her mouth, writing: “I miss smoking a lot already.”
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Jamie McCarthy/Getty; Momodu Mansaray/WireImage
Along with Lyonne’s health mission, she has also been through another major transition this past year. Last April, theOrange is the New Blackalumspoke toEntertainment Weeklyabout her then-recent splitfrom her boyfriend of nearly eight years,Fred Armisen.
After confirming their amicable breakup earlier that month, Lyonne shared that she had entered her “divorced dad era.”
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“I live a pretty no-dependence lifestyle, and I like it that way,” the Golden Globe nominee toldEW. “I just want to do my workaholism and have my weekend — and have some yacht rock and weird parties. But I think it’s so weird that we have such limited time here and we spend so much of it worrying about the dumbest s— ever.”
source: people.com
