Natasha Rothwell (born October 18, 1980) is an American actress, writer, and producer. She is best known for her roles as Kelli Prenny on the HBO series Insecure (2016–2021) and as Belinda Lindsey on The White Lotus (2021, 2025), earning two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the latter. Rothwell also co-created and starred in the Hulu comedy series How to Die Alone (2024).
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Early life
Rothwell was born on October 18, 1980 in Wichita, Kansas. Her parents, David and Sharon Rothwell, are natives of Philadelphia. She has three siblings. They were raised Christian.
Due to her father’s career in the United States Air Force, Rothwell's family moved frequently when she was young, including to New Mexico, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, and Turkey. Rothwell attended two elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. She graduated from Westlake High School in Waldorf, Maryland.
Rothwell attended Ithaca College as a journalism major before transferring to the University of Maryland as a theater major on a full creative and performing arts scholarship. She credits Langston Hughes's poem "Harlem"—which begins with the question "What happens to a dream deferred?"—with inspiring her to change majors and pursue acting.
Career
Upon graduating, Rothwell moved to Japan to teach English and performed at the Tokyo Comedy Store. In 2009, she returned to the U.S. and moved to New York City, where she worked as a high school theatre teacher for four years while pursuing comedy. She performed with the Upright Citizens Brigade and was hired as a writer on Saturday Night Live for the 2014-2015 season. After eight years in New York, Rothwell moved to Los Angeles in 2015.
In 2016, Rothwell had her breakthrough role on the Issa Rae HBO series Insecure as Kelli Prenny. She also served as a writer and supervising producer. The series ran for five seasons, concluding in 2021. Rothwell won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role at the 2022 NAACP Image Awards.
Rothwell landed roles in television series Netflix Presents: The Characters, Search Party, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Love, Victor, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
On April 15, 2019, Rothwell joined a host of other writers in firing their agents as part of the Writers Guild of America’s stand against the Association of Talent Agents and the practice of packaging.
In 2020, Rothwell starred in the films Wonder Woman 1984, Like a Boss, and Sonic the Hedgehog. In 2021, her company Big Hattie Productions struck an overall deal with ABC Signature.
In 2021, Rothwell joined the cast of season 1 of the HBO series The White Lotus, as Belinda. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
In 2023, Rothwell starred in the films Wonka and Wish.
In 2024, Rothwell co-created, produced, and starred in the comedy series How to Die Alone on Hulu. She plays a 35-year-old JFK airport worker who has never been in love, partially inspired by Rothwell’s own journey of love and self-discovery. The series was critically acclaimed and Rothwell won a Celebration of Cinema and Television Award and an NAACP Image Award nomination.
Personal life
Rothwell lives in Los Angeles with her two goldendoodle dogs. Her favorite place to visit is Big Sur.
Rothwell has ADHD, describing herself as "neurospicy", and has spoken about the importance of mental health. She describes herself as a Type-A person and a nerd.
Rothwell is a Democrat and an advocate for women's rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, and civil rights. She is a vocal critic of Donald Trump’s administrations and has marched against anti-immigration policies and police brutality. She has spoken about her passion for activism, telling GQ in 2018, "I lived in DC for almost 10 years. When you live there you kind of can't help but be politically active."