The one thing Natasha Rothwell can actually say about

The one thing Natasha Rothwell can actually say about 'White Lotus'

Natasha Rothwell knows this one necessity is 'bizarre': 'It's a bit of an oral fixation'

In a weekly series USA TODAY’s The Essentials, celebrities share what fuels their lives whether it's at home, on the set or on the road.

Natasha Rothwell's career continues to ascend.

Along with creating Hulu's comedy "How to Die Alone" (now streaming), Rothwell also stars as Melissa Jackson, an employee at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport who wishes her professional and personal life would take flight, but her fears of rejection keep her grounded.

"It was born out of a desire to see myself represented on screen in a new way," says Rothwell, known for roles on HBO's "The White Lotus" and "Insecure," "and I was just really drawn to exploring the intersection of loneliness and being alone and the difference between the two."

In her first leading role, a near-death experience on the eve of her 35th birthday emboldens Melissa — formerly too scared to board an airplane — to live a more mindful, adventurous life.

Rothwell is revealing the necessities keeping her company, her "bizarre" must-have and spills on the new season of "The White Lotus" (well, as much as she can).

Rothwell spent five months filming the third installment of "The White Lotus," slated to air in 2025. Rothwell appeared as spa manager Belinda Lindsey in the first season of the Mike White comedy and will co-star in the next chapter along with Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Scott Glenn, Walton Goggins, Michelle Monaghan and Parker Posey.

"My Thailand essentials were sunscreen, it was very, very hot," Rothwell says. "Pad see ew, it was delicious. That's probably my blood type right now."

But she can't disclose much more, though she does still rely on the production assistants: "We're in a group chat. It's the best."

"I have an embarrassing, perhaps cyclopedic knowledge of 'The Office,'" Rothwell admits of the NBC comedy (2005–2013). "I just love the show so much. I was reading something about anxiety and that people rewatch shows because they love them, but also because it's familiar and it's calming. And it's something I can turn on at any point, at any season and be relaxed and it helps soothe me a bit."

She describes Season 4's "Dinner Party" episode, when Michael (Steve Carell) hosts couples at his home, as "iconic."

"It is high comedy, and it's non-stop laughs," she says, adding she loves the slow-burning romance of Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer).