Natasha Rothwell Upped To Regular On ‘Insecure’, Will Develop Comedy For HBO

Natasha Rothwell is getting a double promotion on the new HBO comedy series Insecure, recently renewed for a second season.

Rothwell, who appeared in four episodes of Season 1 opposite star Issa Rae, has been named a series regular for Season 2. She also will continue as a writer on the show, created by Rae and Larry Wilmore, upped from a story editor to executive story editor. Additionally, HBO has made a development deal with Rothwell for a comedy project, which she would write and star in.

Rothwell trained and performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade and The Peoples Improv Theater and won an NBC Universal Diversity Scholarship. In December 2013, she was one of the finalists testing for Saturday Night Live in the show’s talent search following criticism for lack of black female cast members. The featured player spot went to Sasheer Zamata, but Rothwell landed a season-long gig as a writer on the late-night sketch comedy program where she penned, among other things, the opening monologue for host Taraji P. Henson.

Rothwell went on to co-create and executive produce and star in Netflix’s eight-episode sketch comedy series The Characters, in which eight up-and-coming comedians each got to write and topline a 30-minute episode. Rothwell emerged as the breakout star with her segment, highlighted by the “Basic Bitch” music video (you can watch it below).

Rothwell then joined Rae’s new HBO comedy series Insecure as a writer and soon migrated onscreen, recurring as Issa’s (Rae) friend Kelli, a role she will reprise in Season 2 as a series regular.

Rothwell is repped by WME, Edna Cowan Management and attorney Michael Auerbach.

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