Natasha Rothwell Talks How To Die Alone & Wanting To “Do Right” By Reesa Teesa

Natasha Rothwell does it all. She is a creative powerhouse who effortlessly juggles acting, producing, and writing. Now, Rothwell's new Hulu series, How To Die Alone, promises to further solidify her status as a comedic force in Hollywood. The multi-talented visionary has starred in notable projects, including the critically acclaimed HBO series White Lotus, and got her start as a writer on one of the longest-running programs in television history, Saturday Night Live. To this day, Rothwell is most widely recognized for portraying Kelli Prenny on Issa Rae's award-winning comedy series, Insecure. She quickly became a fan favorite, known for her quirky charm and infectious energy. 

With Rothwell at the helm as lead actress, creator, co-showrunner, and executive producer, her latest project, How To Die Alone, is a testament to her multifaceted talents. The ancient saying "a jack of all trades is a master of none" doesn't apply here. On the contrary, Rothwell is a master of vulnerability. This feel-good comedy, which has been seven years in the making, explores themes of self-discovery, loneliness versus being alone, and the pursuit of happiness.

While the Kansas native has typically worked behind the scenes or in supporting roles, this marks her debut as the lead actress and creative force behind a series. However, it won't be her last venture in the driver's seat. On Sept. 4, Rothwell announced on Instagram her plans to adapt Tareasa "Reesa Teesa" Johnson's viral TikTok story, Who TF Did I Marry, into a television series. Reesa Teesa's powerful storytelling garnered more than 400 million views, making her an overnight pop culture sensation. 

Fresh off the premiere of Rothwell’s new series, she talks with Unbothered over Zoom about her personal experiences that birthed the project, takeaways she hopes audiences are left with, turning Who TF Did I Marry into a television show, and the one thing she wants Insecure fans to let go of.

Natasha Rothwell: When I began my journey to wellness, therapy, learning about myself, and trying to grow and be better, I just made a sh*t ton of mistakes. And there's a lot of embarrassment and shame that comes from that. The more I would talk to friends about it and be vulnerable is when I learned that it was a common, almost universal experience. And I thought that was a worthy subject matter to talk about what it's like to be on that journey to closing the distance between who you are and who you want to be. I also think that conversations about loneliness and being alone just don't happen enough. The antidote to loneliness is definitely vulnerability. So, it was important for me to be vulnerable in making a show that creates a conversation.

NR: It was very triggering because so much of Mel is who I was. So, revisiting those feelings, even though the circumstances were different because it's fictionalized, the emotions were very familiar. It was triggering at times to be in the writer's room and having a room full of people being like, 'What is Mel's problem?' and I'm like, 'Leave her alone. She's doing the best she can.' But I'm so grateful because I think it was healing to revisit those moments of pain, anguish, and frustration from the lens of empathy. It was like looking back at myself in my twenties and early thirties and feeling empathy and having grace for myself –with myself. It was a pretty powerful experience to play Mel.

NR: Because it's real life. I feel like one-dimensional, plus-sized characters are so done. A mission of Big Hattie Productions [Rothwell's production company] is that our characters are human on page one. We're not going to waste page real estate to talk about my fatness, blackness, or womanness to get the audience comfortable with the idea of someone who looks like me having these very nuanced experiences. It was exciting to create a character that subverted those expectations because I do think when people tune in, they may think that that's what they're getting. And it delights me when I'm able to surprise people and have them realize that I deserve a nuanced, thoughtful, varied story as well. 

NR: It's surreal. Surreal is the only word. I had the premiere last night [Sept. 4] and I had to take a moment just to take it in because I wanted to not blow past the fact that was the achievement. As much as I want audiences to respond to it, grow and learn from it, and have fun with it, I wanted to acknowledge that I accomplished something in the doing. I thank therapy. I've been able to slow down, pride myself, and not feel boastful about it. But I can say with my whole chest that I'm proud of the work that I did. The fact that it saw the light of day is the result of a lot of tenacity and stick-to-itiveness. That brings me a great sense of pride.

NR: I'm grateful that it's now. Even hindsight being what it was or is, I think this is the precise timing that it needed to be. It was a lesson in me trying to rush the universe's timing often because I want to move quickly or do something my way and on my time… I've been walking in a state of flow where everything feels difficult for different reasons but relatively easy. It feels like the wind is at my back, and that feels really great.

NR: My hope is that audiences will see the character of Mel and be inspired to keep going. Even if they hit a wall, mess up, or have to learn a lesson more than twice and thrice, they will keep going. Being a human is hard. Being an adult is really hard. We need to have more conversations about the struggles because that vulnerability will lead to connection. Those connections will lead to happier and more whole people.

NR: On my day off in Thailand, I went to her [Reesa Teesa] TikTok and binged all eight hours and was blown away at her sort of radical act of vulnerability and I f–ck with her heavy. I f–ck with vulnerability real heavy. It was just inspiring, and I'm in the business of telling stories from marginalized communities that usually don't get the shine. I specialize in vulnerability and storytelling, so it just made sense. It wasn't just me being attracted to the sensationalized version of the story that she was telling. As a person, the human [Reesa Teesa] who went through this, survived, and is surviving viral fame is something that interests me. We're so early on in the process, so there's nothing substantive to share except that I'm just excited that Big Hattie Productions won the bid of tug-of-war in Hollywood for it because I think I can do right by her in the story.

NR: It's never too late. Don't use other people's exterior to judge your interior. So often, we do that when we see other people succeeding. We don't know what's really going on. We don't know if they're happy. We don't know what they had to give up to get there. Keep your eyes on your own paper and do the work. That's really what it is. It's not easy. The work is constant – it's relentless. You'll make the same mistake over and over again, but you'll make it better each time. You'll get better, and you'll grow. I hope folks who feel stuck or feel like they just can't get over the hump that is motivation, feeling less than, or unworthy trust in themselves and do the work. 

NR: Lawrence and Tasha. People would give Jay [Ellis] sh–t all the time over that relationship…But I love the fans of the show. They're new ones every year. People love it. It was an honor of a lifetime to write, direct, and be on the show. I will be forever grateful to Issa for the opportunity to be a part of that story because it's my favorite thing. If I get recognized as Kelli, I'm not the type of actress who is like, 'Ugh.' I'm like, 'Yasss.' I'm so grateful for the love because this show [Insecure] really was special.

The first four episodes of How To Die Alone are now streaming on Hulu.