How “When Harry Met Sally” Influenced Natasha Rothwell’s Comedy “How to Die Alone”

The creator and star of the Hulu comedy shares the advice Issa Rae gave her.

How to die alone He wasn’t going to die. Not if Natasha Rothwell could help it.

He Insecure The star began working on it in 2016 and developed it twice before it landed at Hulu. “I had a lot of opportunities to walk away from it, but something in me was telling me this needed to be born and see the light of day, so I’m glad I didn’t give up,” Rothwell tells Star. Entertainment Weekly.

The series’ journey mirrors that of Mel, an airport employee (played by Rothwell, who is also the creator and co-showrunner). We meet Mel as a single woman who longs to be seen, but is held back by a fear of putting herself out there. “That tension exists in a lot of people, particularly plus-size and brown-skinned people,” Rothwell explains. It takes a near-death experience for her to reexamine what she’s doing and start taking steps toward the full life she truly desires.

Related: How Belinda, played by Natasha Rothwell, can return for The white lotus Season 3

“It’s the most vulnerable piece of art I’ve ever put out into the world. I really didn’t mince my words,” he says of this comedy that is equal parts humor and sentiment. How to die alone It aims to explore the “very nuanced difference between being alone and feeling lonely.”

Rothwell is entering a new phase of her career as a creator, so EW spoke to her about the stories and storytellers that influenced her.

When Harry Met Sally

Rothwell is a lover of romantic comedies, so it’s no surprise that she was influenced by one of the most iconic films of the genre: When Harry Met Sally. Watching the couple discover their love over the course of a decade in the 1989 classic made the story feel like more than just your average love story for a young Rothwell. “It was tricky because it’s written by the beautiful Nora Ephron,” she says, “I was so moved by it and I’ve always been impressed by the ability to tell a love story in an unconventional way.” She also hopes to use an unconventional approach to tell Mel’s story. “It’s not a romantic love story, but it’s a princess saving herself and falling in love with herself,” she teases.

Nell Carter

What the late Nell Carter brought to television during the six seasons of the NBC comedy Give me a break! left a lasting impact on Rothwell. “It was one of the first shows where I saw a plus-size black woman in charge and owning her body, her beauty, and not being the butt of jokes,” she says of the comedy about a widowed police chief’s housekeeper and his three daughters. “I remember watching it as a little girl and thinking there’s room in this world for people who look like me, so it was impactful and it lit a fire under my skin.”

The breakfast club

He How to die alone The creator and star loves misfits. “I find myself playing characters who are left of center and are more than they seem. It’s a great way to get to know archetypes and discover that they are more than what you see,” she says. One collection of misfits she was inspired by are the students in the 1985 coming-of-age story. The Breakfast Club.

Related: Natasha Rothwell shares her list of pop culture must-haves, from Hamilton to When Harry Met Sally

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

We love to see our friends win and that is how Rothwell feels about the beloved Phoebe Waller-Bridge, a multi-faceted woman. “(She) did something really amazing with Flea bag“It originated as a one-woman show and the journey of its evolution to getting to the big screen and how shameless it was, especially (how it didn’t care) about anything in terms of Western ideals, meaning it stopped after two seasons because it was finished,” he says of the popular series. Rothwell, like many of its viewers, praises Waller-Bridge’s writing and performance.

In fact, Rothwell worked with the Flea bag In 2016, when this project began, she fell in love with her. “Then she had to leave and become famous and she couldn’t keep the project, but her sensitivity and her willingness to break molds really caught my attention,” she says about the experience.

Related: Get to know With love, SimonNatasha Rothwell’s secret weapon

Tennessee Williams

The work of prolific playwright Tennessee Williams was a big part of Rothwell’s college experience. He recalls working on “old-school actors’ scripts” and being struck by the amount of subtext in his work. “I was really struck by how much was said without using a lot of words. The economy of language conveyed a lot and it definitely inspired me,” he shares.

Issa Rae

As Kelli Prenny in InsecureRothwell made us all laugh every week. In addition to playing the breakout character, she wrote the HBO comedy, so she got to see up close how series creator Issa Rae built her company and expanded her empire. “I’m sure she had natural fears, but she also had a confidence that made her completely stand on her own two feet,” she says of working with Rae.

Related: Crew Love: Saying Goodbye to Issa Rae’s Insecure

One lesson Rothwell definitely learned from Rae? Delegate. “The main piece of advice she explicitly gave was to hire amazing people. You should surround yourself with people who you know will make you better. I did exactly that and got the right result,” he says.

Mike Blanco

Like many, Rothwell has been a long-time fan of Mike White. He saw how brilliant he was as a storyteller when watching projects like Freaks and freaks, The good girland Beatriz at dinnerand then I started working with him on The white lotus“It’s been a dream come true to watch him work,” she says. “I really appreciate his work ethic and his commitment to protecting his history.”

How to die alone premieres September 13 on Hulu.

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