Nicole Kidman’s Viral Clapping Just Got Some Serious Competition from Natasha Lyonne

Published Sep 23, 2019

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2:20pm

Back in 2017, Nicole Kidman made headlines at the Oscars when she debuted her iconic “seal clap.” And now, Natasha Lyonne is replacing the Big Little Lies star as this year’s most talked about audience member.

It all started last night at the 71st annual Emmy Awards, which took place at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles. During the broadcast, cameras panned to the Russian Doll star, 40, on multiple occasions, and we couldn’t help but notice that her applause closely resembles Kidman’s now-infamous clap.

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In the GIF above, Lyonne is extending her fingers outward as she awkwardly claps her hands. While it doesn’t seem like a huge deal at first, the gesture becomes more puzzling when we look at Amy Poehler, who doesn’t stand out.

Of course, this wasn’t the only time that Lyonne was caught in the act during the Emmy Awards.

In another clip, the actress appears to give herself continuous high-fives, and we have so many questions.

Both moves bear a striking resemblance to Kidman’s clap from the 2017 Oscars ceremony, which became an instantaneous meme.

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In a previous interview with Australian radio show “Kyle and Jackie O,” Kidman blamed her awkward clap on her accessories. “It was really difficult because I had a huge ring on that was not my own but was absolutely gorgeous,” she said. “And I was terrified of damaging it.”

Fingers crossed Lyonne has an equally believable excuse.

Greta Heggeness

Senior Editor, News and Entertainment

Writes and edits news and entertainment content
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Has 9 years experience in entertainment coverage

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