Hulu’s How to Die Alone Proves Plus-Size Women Can Be Dynamic Leads

A wave of nervousness rushes over Emmy-nominated actress Natasha Rothwell when fans recognize her on the street. The 43-year-old writer and White Lotus alum said people usually approach her with tons of energy assuming she’s an extrovert like the character she played on HBO’s Insecure, Kelli. 

“I look a little nervous and I’m like ‘I’m sorry. I won’t do the shot, but let’s get a picture,’” she mused in a recent interview with Paste. 

For Rothwell, that couldn’t be further from the truth of who she actually is. 

“I’m not just the characters that I play,” she said. “It’s a real compliment when people confuse me for the characters that I play, because that means I did the job.”

However, if she could liken herself to one of her characters, it’s her new creation: Mel, the main protagonist of Rothwell’s new Hulu comedy How to Die Alone. 

Rothwell stars as Mel in the bold, dark comedy that explores the awkward, sometimes bleak but often hilarious journey of life, loneliness, and death. Mel’s outlook is changed unexpectedly after a near-fatal experience on her birthday leaves her craving more spontaneous adventures in life and love. Through clever writing and absurd situations, the series finds humor in the inevitable hardships, and challenges the audience to reflect on how to live their own best lives. The series also features Mel’s ex-boyfriend Alex (Jocko Sims), her best friend Rory (Conrad Rickamora), and her flirty coworker Terrance (KeiLyn Durrel Jones).

While How to Die Alone delivers a unique perspective on embracing vulnerability even in the most uncertain of circumstances, its most compelling aspect is that Mel, a plus-size woman, is not just a side character or comic relief, but instead is the heartbeat and lead of the series.

Rothwell’s Mel joins a slew of other fictional characters over the past year—including Michelle Buteau as Mavis Beaumont in Survival of the Thickest, Jessica Gunning as Martha Scott in Baby Reindeer, and Dionne Brown as Queenie Jenkins in Queenie—that reflect a broader shift in the kinds of characters plus-size women portray on the small screen. For far too long, plus-size women have been pigeonholed into narrow stereotypes. They’re often cast as the sassy best friend to the main character, always a funny sidekick but never the ones to experience complex emotions, romance, or personal growth. Now, we see them in more complex, unhinged, and thorny roles that showcase the breadth of stories ready to be told.

In this series, Mel is given the space to be vulnerable, loved, make mistakes, and grow. Her size is acknowledged, but it doesn’t define her. Instead, her story is about universal human experiences, which makes it all the more impactful.

Rothwell and How to Die Alone co-creator Vera Santamaria said it was imperative to create a well-rounded character for this series.

“I wanted to have a fully fleshed-out character that was allowed to experience the full spectrum of emotion on screen and not just be relegated to the sidekick or the punchline,” Rothwell said.

“I hope this show can be a step in the direction where we look at the traditional ways that a character like her might be played, and then push the boundaries,” Santamaria said. “Because I think we definitely want to be a part of that new trajectory of stories.”

Rothwell said plus-size writers and actors often make their bodies the plot of a story, and she wanted to do something different. 

“With Big Hattie Productions, we want to center marginalized stories and make sure that those stories start on page one,” she said. “I do not waste page real estate in any script, and in How to Die Alone, to justify Mel’s otherness and her womanness, her blackness, her fatness.”

Rothwell also said it was important to destigmatize the word “fat,” emphasizing that plus-size bodies can exist without needing to justify their presence or explain their value.

“It shouldn’t be pejorative. It’s just a fact,” she said. “And being able to approach the show with that at the start, we were able to create a show that I think is showing plus size bodies in a new way.”

Inspired by her bouts of loneliness living in New York City for several years, Rothwell began developing the concept for How to Die Alone seven years ago as a way to tackle her greatest fear: dying alone. After crossing paths with Rothwell in social settings, Santamaria read the Pilot for the series and knew it was something worthwhile. 

“The thing I share with Mel, Natasha, and so many people in the world is just this feeling of feeling unseen by the mainstream,” she said. “Where you can be in a room or you can be doing the work and not feel like your story is important or not feeling noticed for the work that you’re doing. I was really able to contribute to Mel’s experience in that way.”

​​One of How to Die Alone’s most unique elements is its documentary-style introduction to each episode, where real people share their thoughts on love, friendship, and loneliness. 

“It dawned on me that millions of us are walking around that city, not connecting, feeling lonely,” Rothwell said. “So I wanted to incorporate this documentary style to hear from actual New Yorkers. I think it really set the tone that Mel is just one New Yorker that we see on the street, who we don’t see and we don’t connect to. What would happen if we stopped and really paused and dove into the lives of those around us in a way that makes them feel seen?”

Ultimately, Rothwell hopes the show sparks conversations around topics that are often left unspoken. 

“The show isn’t meant to offer solutions to people’s problems, but to create a dialog around something that I think we’re all dealing with, which is loneliness,” she said. “I think conversation and vulnerability are the antidotes.”

Mel’s journey is one of self-discovery, healing, and growth, but it’s also a mirror to the audience. Through her story, Rothwell and Santamaria hope viewers will reflect on their own lives, relationships, and sense of belonging.

“I want people to continue to think about the show long after they’ve watched it,” Santamaria said. “I don’t think there’s so many shows with this very specific tone. I would hope that people really see this for the original kind of work that it is.”

Precious Fondren is a freelance culture reporter based in NYC. When she’s not rewatching episodes of “One Tree Hill” she’s talking someone’s ear off about music. You can follow her @precious1otus.

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