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Russian Doll's original pitch included roles for Jordan Peele and Alfred Molina

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By Emily Garbutt published 25 April 2022

Russian Doll was originally a very different show

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Natasha Lyonne in Russian Doll
(Image credit: Netflix)
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Russian Doll star and co-creator Natasha Lyonne has revealed some new details about the show's original pitch, including two surprising cast members. 

"It's funny to look at that pitch document. It's so charming, because there's so much in it that is [different]. First of all, Jordan Peele plays heavily in it as a love interest," Lyonne tells EW. "Which is just funny to think that it's such a pre-Jordan Peele, Oscar-winning auteur era, where we're just like, 'Okay, great. So he plays the boyfriend.'"

Lyonne also revealed that the pitch featured a small role for Alfred Molina. "It's a very specific document, and it's almost like a time capsule, because it took so long, even from the time that [Netflix] ordered a script to green lighting us direct to series, and a year went by, and in that time, so much changed," she continued. 

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"I still look back at it and share it with [first-time] showrunners and stuff, because it's so sweet. You can tell that our hearts are in it all the way, and it's also really interesting to see how much it's sort of deviated from itself, even in season 1."

The latest season of the hit Netflix show picks up four years after the end of season 1 – Nadia (Lyonne) and Alan (Charlie Barnett) "must sift through their pasts via an unexpected time portal located in one of Manhattan's most iconic locales." Schitt's Creek star Annie Murphy and District 9 star Sharlto Copley have also joined the cast for season 2. 

Russian Doll season 2 is streaming now on Netflix. When you've watched all the episodes, check out our guides to the Russian Doll season 2 ending explained and the Russian Doll season 2 timeline explained. You can also check out our guide to Russian Doll season 3.

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Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
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Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.

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