Natasha Lyonne, a renowned figure in the entertainment industry, once found herself in an unexpected situation when Jennifer Coolidge mistook her for Hilary Duff. This incident led to some interesting conversations and reflections.

Uncovering the Confusion - Natasha Lyonne and Her Celebrity Doppelgänger

Episode Recollection

On the Tuesday, December 3, episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Natasha Lyonne, aged 45, shared this amusing story. She recalled that Jennifer Coolidge saw her at the Chateau Marmont with straight hair, and the older actress thought she was Hilary Duff. Lyonne was quite puzzled by this mix-up and even joked about losing her edge. She said, "Maybe I’ve become too well ‘cause whatever I’m projecting is something I’ve got to scratch real quick. I have lost my edge."Even though there was this confusion, Lyonne had nothing but praise for Hilary Duff, stating that she seems like a lovely person. She even took the physical resemblance as a compliment, quipping, "Sometimes I’ll look at pictures and be like, ‘I think maybe this is a good thing. I think they mean this kindly.’"

Interaction Timeline

Lyonne did not mention exactly when her interaction with Coolidge, who is 63 years old, took place. It could have been before or after they starred together in the 1999 film American Pie. What makes the situation even more humorous is that Coolidge later played Duff’s stepmother in 2004’s A Cinderella Story. According to Lyonne, Coolidge realized her mistake "not very far" into their conversation. She explained, "She was sort of like, ‘Oh, I thought you were Hilary Duff,’ and I was like, ‘I’m not,’ and it was over." Lyonne even playfully added, "But yeah, I would rather be mistaken for Keith Richards or something." The podcast host Josh Horowitz even suggested that Lyonne could be "the cross between Hilary Duff and Keith Richards."

American Pie Experience

Lyonne and Coolidge played distinct roles in American Pie. Lyonne was Jessica, while Coolidge was Stifler’s mom. The comedy follows a group of high school boys on a mission to lose their virginity by prom night. The actresses reprised their roles in 2001’s American Pie 2 and 2012’s American Reunion, although Lyonne did not appear in the third installment, 2003’s American Wedding.During Tuesday’s podcast, Lyonne reflected on her American Pie experience. She revealed that she turned down her role "five times out of sheer confusion." At 15, she was at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and had no real experience of a white person high school or prom dates. She had no idea what the movie was about and was morally against it. She added, "I also have never really enjoyed the idea of, ‘These are the hot chicks and you are other.’ I’m like, ‘That’s not fun, guys.’"Despite her initial reservations, Lyonne said that the film’s codirectors, Paul and Chris Weitz, are "lovely" and she still has fond memories of her costars. She stated, "Now, with 400 years between me and the film, I can see that it’s very interesting that it touched a nerve for people and that they felt seen. I love Jason Biggs. I love Eddie Kaye Thomas very much. But yeah, I was very confused by the film."