The Resilient Natasha Rothwell

by

In 2015, Natasha Rothwell visited Ireland. She describes her experience as being at a castle on a hill shrouded in fog, where she was the only Black person around. Then, a Black family seemed to appear from the mist – a mother, father, and two children. Upon seeing them, our eyes met, and without a word, I approached and embraced them.

In the premiere of HBO’s latest season of “The White Lotus,” a portrayal of her character made it to the final cut. This role, for which she was Emmy-nominated as Belinda, the spa manager, is reprised by Rothwell. During the previous season, viewers saw Belinda dealing with Jennifer Coolidge’s demanding behavior. Now, Belinda journeys to the resort depicted in the title, set in Thailand, to take part in a wellness-training program. On her first day, as she puts it, pretending to be a guest, Belinda offers a friendly wave to a stylish Black couple having dinner. “When we, as Black people, see other Black travelers, especially in spaces predominantly or historically white,” Rothwell explains, “it feels like a celebration that we’re here.” She shared this sentiment with her friend and series creator Mike White, based on an experience they had in Ireland.

Since Belinda last appeared on the shores of Maui, giving a welcoming smile to new visitors despite her dreams of starting her own business being thwarted by Tanya, the spoiled heiress of Coolidge, many fans had speculated about her possible return. Rothwell believed that Belinda’s story was concluded. “I felt satisfied,” she said. “I thought, That seems like the end of her journey.” However, in 2022, White hinted at revisiting the character. “I didn’t get my hopes up,” says Rothwell, who was then working on her own Hulu series titled How to Die Alone. “But I certainly wished for it.

On this overcast February day, she exudes a casual comfort, clad in a tie-dyed jumpsuit from Big Bud Press, sporting gold hoop earrings, and a black turban. We find ourselves in a café adjacent to the Broad museum in downtown Los Angeles, having just admired an artwork by Kara Walker, one of her favorite artists. Rothwell resides not too far away. The ashes from the fires that ravaged numerous parts of the city less than a month ago have fallen on the house she shares with her goldendoodle, Lloyd Dobler, and a recently adopted doodle mix named Wilson. These pets had to be evacuated from their training center in Topanga Canyon, but Rothwell managed to remain at home. “The extent of the destruction happening so close by left me somewhat disoriented,” says Rothwell, who has since prepared an emergency kit. “I was not as well-prepared as I believed.

Over the last ten years, Rothwell has emerged as a multi-talented artist whose presence we’ve come to deeply appreciate, and her absence leaves us wanting more. Her characters, such as Belinda and Kelli from Insecure, are regrettably infrequent in their series. Last year, the long-awaited series, How to Die Alone, about a solitary airport employee who endeavors to transform her life following a close brush with death, finally debuted. Rothwell had been refining this project, which she conceived, produced, and starred in, for eight years while also making her mark on the big screen through humorous roles in films like Love, Simon and Wonka. Just a day before our meeting, it was announced that Hulu was canceling the series after one season. “Among all my projects,” she explains, “How to Die Alone was my top priority.” So despite the anticipation surrounding her role in The White Lotus, Rothwell finds herself more connected to Belinda’s unfulfilled aspirations than she would prefer. “To make it as far as I have requires setbacks,” she says, “but it’s challenging because I wonder, what more do I need to accomplish to deserve screen time?

Rothwell developed her humor during her upbringing as a military child. Her father served in the Air Force, leading them to relocate frequently, settling in places like Kansas, Turkey, New Jersey, and Maryland. Each move provided a chance for transformation. She would either be seen as the quiet, enigmatic child or the reliable study partner, she mentioned. Growing up in a very religious household, her mother refused to use the term “deviled eggs,” instead calling them “angel eggs.” In church, she often amused her three siblings by turning the hymnal upside down and singing in strange voices.

During college, she experimented with improv comedy. Shortly after graduation, she relocated to Tokyo to teach English. Upon her return to the U.S. in 2009, she spent her nights performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre while working as a high school theater teacher in the Bronx for four years. In 2014, she auditioned for Saturday Night Live because they were specifically seeking a Black woman, but it was Sasheer Zamata who got the part instead. Rothwell was then hired to write, however her contract wasn’t renewed after just one season. She now reflects on this experience by saying, “Well, I wouldn’t argue with you if you said they dropped the ball.” Additionally, she expresses interest in potentially hosting the show, stating, “It would be intriguing to finally meet Lorne.

In the series that have significantly shaped her career, Rothwell has also played a role off-camera. She relocated from Brooklyn to L.A. in 2015 for a position in the writers’ room for Insecure. Creator Issa Rae and showrunner Prentice Penny recognized her multi-talented nature, as she puts it. “They saw all of me,” she says. Since then, they offered her the role of Kelli due to her infectious charm during early table reads for season one. By season four, she was promoted to supervising producer. From that point, she became more discerning about suggesting storylines for the character. “I didn’t want it to seem like I was trying to vie for her because I knew this is Issa and Molly’s story, and I wanted to fiercely protect that,” she says, referring to Rae’s onscreen best friend played by Yvonne Orji.

Rae strongly objected to a particular storyline involving Kelli having a baby near the end of the series. Even though Kelli had previously said, “If I wanted a kid, I would have kept the last one,” Rothwell felt differently. As someone who is child-free by choice, she put forth her reasons for keeping it as is. However, Issa was very invested in depicting that people can change, and in the end, the show wasn’t solely under Rothwell’s control. If she could set aside her personal feelings, it does make sense.

Right from the beginning, Mike Rothwell played a significant role in shaping Belinda’s character on “The White Lotus.” As she puts it, “Mike is well aware that he isn’t a Black woman, so there’s a unique perspective he needs to understand.” In our initial discussions for season one, we went through every Belinda scene line by line. I would suggest lines, and although the intent remained the same, they sounded or felt more genuine from my point of view. Some minor touches of Rothwell’s ideas also found their way into the script. For instance, I provided feedback on how my character as a single mother would communicate with her son (Nicholas Duvernay) and instructed the wardrobe department that Belinda would prefer to wear a bonnet to bed: “Those are vacation braids.” Neither Rothwell nor I were fond of the scene involving the giant monitor lizard. When they suggested I meet the lizard, my response was similar to scrolling through my phone to find the photo of me hesitantly touching its scaly head. “I’m not a nature girlie,” I said.

The writer of “The White Lotus,” Mike White, recognizes that the casting of the series may unintentionally perpetuate the very social divisions it aims to expose, as the wealthy white guests behave poorly while the staff, who are predominantly non-white, are more submissive and morally simplistic. Rothwell sees potential for satire in portraying Black wealth, but she enjoys playing the central character, Belinda, which is how both she and White view her role. White admits that if he were writing an Indian American family and they were as eccentric as this season’s Ratliffs, it would present more challenges due to increased scrutiny. Moreover, White mentions that she doesn’t work well with a writing team, suggesting that this could be a continuing issue for her if she continues working on the show.

The upcoming season showcases a wide variety of self-important vacationers, among them Michelle Monaghan portraying a TV personality accompanied by her snarky childhood companions Carrie Coon and Leslie Bibb. Additionally, Walton Goggins plays the role of a brooding sugar daddy with ulterior motives, seeking retribution. This season seems to be wrapping up the narrative thread that started when Tanya opted out of partnering with Belinda for business in favor of being with her lover, Greg (Jon Gries), who is the only recurring character. Previously, we all witnessed Rothwell’s shock as Tanya perished in the waters near Sicily during season two, sending a text to Coolidge that read “WHAT?!? OMG”. After learning of Tanya’s fate, future episodes will showcase Rothwell’s comedic talents as she suspects Greg might have played a part in Tanya’s downfall.

Last year, Rothwell stayed at the Four Seasons Koh Samui for several months, which served as the filming location for most scenes in the fictional resort. To endure the equatorial sun, she and Posey used ice packs on their skin, causing themselves bruises. She reflects that craving something to be different can lead to suffering, so she learned to accept the heat. White referred to Rothwell as his “foxhole buddy,” leaning on her expertise as a showrunner. He described the shoot as extremely demanding, stating that Rothwell’s presence was crucial in maintaining morale among the cast. When I shared this with Rothwell, it moved her, despite the bittersweet context of losing her own show. Earlier, during our journey to Walker’s African’t, a massive artwork depicting racially motivated violence, she questioned why How to Die Alone was canceled, given that Onyx Collective, the series’ primary ambassador, is a Disney-content brand focused on creating stories from people of color. She pointed out its positive reviews, viewership numbers, and an Independent Spirit Award for the ensemble cast. (Hulu declined to share streaming numbers, but a source close to the show confirmed that it was canceled due to low ratings.)

The series portrays Mel’s journey post a mishap on her 35th birthday, which prompts her to reevaluate the life decisions – toxic friendships, unfulfilling romantic relationships – that have left her disoriented. Although Rothwell never experienced the professional setbacks that Mel did, she used her two decades of therapy sessions to shape the character. “The world perceives me a certain way, as a plus-size Black woman, and it makes you think that love isn’t something I’m entitled to or that I shouldn’t love myself,” she explains. “In my 20s and early 30s, I was exactly where Mel was.” Now, in her 40s, she strives to be more open and exposed. She describes herself as “neurospicy” and was diagnosed with ADHD last year. “Mental health care wasn’t something my parents discussed,” she recalls. “I remember telling my first therapist that this was self-indulgent.” She’s content being single. “I hope a wonderful man who appreciates a successful woman finds me,” she says, chuckling, “but there’s a difference between being alone and feeling lonely. And I’m not lonely.

She’s currently working on a remake of the popular TikTok tale “Who TF Did I Marry,” originally by Reesa Teesa. Her connection to the project stemmed from her filming in Thailand, where she was frequently tagged in videos by Tareasa Johnson and even her cousin. Intrigued, Rothwell secured the rights to co-write and star in the adaptation. “I’m really looking forward to delving into this,” she shared. The overwhelming support for Mel and the worry for Belinda’s future has also been uplifting, she added. “It’s fascinating that I play characters people cheer for,” she stated. “So, it feels like, on a cosmic level, they are cheering me on too.

Read More

2025-03-10 15:55