Gold Standard: Natasha Lyonne talks ‘OITNB’ and free love on her cellphone

“Orange Is the New Black” contains a world of fascinating characters, including, of course, Natasha Lyonne’s Nicky Nichols, the prison’s witty and wise (in her own way) sex addict. How has Lyonne’s life changed since the Netflix series, now in its second season, became a cultural phenomenon?

“It’s like the ‘60s. Free love’s alive and well on my cellphone,” Lyonne says, noting, during a recent video chat with The Times, that the show’s more passionate fans have besieged her Twitter account.

“What’s happening is they’re not quite telling the difference between the character and me, which is great news on one level. But on the other level, I’m a grown-up and don’t have that much energy. I just couldn’t get that much done if I was sleeping with as many people as Nicky.”

Lyonne had plenty of energy for our conversation, talking about her preference to never actually watch the show (she has only seen the premiere episodes from each season), her alarming conversation with a criminal courts judge who had her views changed because of “Orange” and, yes, her dog Root Beer, the “most incredible dog ever,” save for four caveats, which Lyonne dutifully explains.

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