'OITNB' Star Natasha Lyonne's Bizarre Emmys Clapping Was Caught on Camera, and Twitter Is Baffled

Natasha Lyonne may not have taken home an Emmy for her role in Netflix's Russian Doll, but she did [...]

By Libby Birk

Natasha Lyonne may not have taken home an Emmy for her role in Netflix's Russian Doll, but she did win Twitter Sunday night when viewers caught sight of her bizarre clapping style during the 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The 40-year-old actress was shown applauding during the award ceremony, pressing her hands together in a wide, circular motion.

The exaggerated movement paired with her gold Gucci dress and oversized glasses made for an awkward moment primed to go viral. The moment quickly spread on social media in GIF form. Even Lyonne herself got in on the fun, retweeting one of the GIFs and writing, "New phone wha happen."

The Orange Is The New Black alum's unique technique reminded many fans of Nicole Kidman's awkward moment at the 2017 Oscars, in which she extended her fingers outward while she clapped.

"It was really difficult because I had a huge ring on that was not mine — but it was absolutely gorgeous," the Big Little Lies star, 52, later explained on Australia's The Kyle and Jackie O Show. "I was terrified of damaging it."

Lyonne attended the Emmys with her longtime boyfriend, Fred Armisen, who sat next to her during the viral moment. Lyonne was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series but lost to Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Russian Doll was also nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series; it lost to Fleabag in both of those categories as well.

After hearing about Russian Doll's nominations, Lyonne told The New York Times in July that the situation was "bananas."

"It's really insane," she said. "We worked so hard, I really thought that my brain was going to implode, and my soul. I really felt the weight, the albatross of making sure that that show would sing and communicate all things that I had hoped for. It was a heavy toll, and arriving on the other side with some sort of celebration is pretty extraordinary. It's very affirming on a creative level, to keep plugging away."

Russian Doll is streaming in its entirety on Netflix.

Photo credit: David Crotty / Contributor / Getty

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