“How to Die Alone” taps into the raw, gritty reality of navigating life solo in New York. The series, created by and starring Natasha Rothwell as Mel – a woman who works at JFK airport and has never experienced love- faces a near-death moment that forces her to reevaluate her isolated life. Set against the city’s tough, independent vibe, Mel’s journey is full of missteps and humor as she attempts to turn her existence into something meaningful and, hopefully, enjoyable.

“Viewers can expect to be delighted and surprised. They can expect to have their expectations subverted. I think they'll meet a protagonist that they'll really wanna root for,” Rothwell begins. “The character of Mel, she's broke. She has arrested development, sort of a failure to launch, and she desperately doesn't know how to close the distance between who she is and who she wants to be. And I think that's a problem that all of us face, really. It's a story about a woman's activation and to start living life fully for herself.” 

She explains that having Mel work in New York’s JFK airport in the comedy series was intentional, as it aligns with her goal to amplify marginalized voices and tell stories that often go unnoticed. She emphasizes that centering such narratives is a core aspect of her work and the projects she is drawn to. This focus on underrepresented perspectives adds depth and authenticity to the series, making it more relatable and impactful.

“I lived in Brooklyn for seven and a half years and flew in and out of JFK a ton. It was just this very interesting petri dish with so many different characters and stories,” Rothwell tells BET. I people-watch as a rule because studying human behavior is a huge part of my acting job and watching the subculture that sustains JFK. If you really slow down and pay attention, you can really pick up on this sort of brewing life that is happening right under our noses. So, JFK just made sense to put our protagonist who's sort of stuck in this liminal space of not quite there and not quite gone.”

Reflecting on the connection to the show’s themes, the Kansas native shares how real-life experiences shaped the storyline. “I think that there's so much of me on the page; so many lessons I learn more than anything are just littered throughout the show,” she continues. “But what prompted me to make this show in particular, when I was given the opportunity to create my own show when I was over at HBO, that's a kind of a daunting thing to happen to someone. Like, what do you want to say? My background is in improv, and one of the phrases that gets circulated a lot is ‘follow the fear.’ So that's where I started when I was sort of given this blank sheet of paper to tell a story. I wanted to talk about something that scared me, and that was dying alone. But, gratefully and thankfully, my therapist is well paid, and I've worked on that sort of misguided idea because I really came to learn the difference between loneliness and being alone. And I had spent most of my twenties afraid of the wrong thing. And so I wanted to make a show about that.” 

Besides creating and starring in the series, Rothwell also serves as the showrunner and executive producer. “I'm the type of person that performs better when there's more weight on the bar if that makes sense. So, having so much to do and having my hands and my fingerprints all over the show was exhilarating. And I think there's no part of me that is confused at the fact that I may not get a second chance to do this. I hope I do. I hope we get a season two. So it wasn't easy, but it was the best experience of my life.”

Last week, BET announced that Natasha Rothwell will executive produce and star in a TV adaptation of "Who TF Did I Marry?," a viral TikTok series created by Tareasa "Reesa Teesa" Johnson. Rothwell, who secured the competitive role, will portray Johnson in the series. “I just will say that I'm so excited to continue growing Big Hattie Productions with this acquisition. I'm just glad that her team went with us. You know, I'm drawn to stories that center on marginalized voices, and what she did was probably one of the most vulnerable, radical acts I’d ever seen. I'm just so grateful to get to be on this journey with her,” says Rothwell. 

The series premiere, “How to Die Alone,” will air on Hulu on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, along with the release of the first four episodes.