Take a Look Inside Natasha Rothwell’s Passport

“Thai food is my favorite, but if I don’t see pad see ew for a year I’ll be okay.” As audiences await actor Natasha Rothwell’s return to The White Lotus—she spent five months filming in Thailand for its third season—they can visit JFK International Airport, where her new Hulu comedy, How to Die Alone, takes place. She plays Melissa, an airport employee grappling with fears of, ironically, flying. Unlike her character, though, Rothwell is always traveling nonstop. “I fly out of JFK’s Delta terminal and know where everything is. I’m a creature of habit.” Here, her recent travels.

Toronto

1Hotel / Photo: Courtesy of Brandon Barre Photography

“It was where How to Die Alone was shot, so it was interesting being in a city that we were duping for another city. It’s so clean there. We did our best to mess it up, but we left it how we found it. The 1 Hotel took incredible care of me, and the food there is insane. I’m very much a Libra and aesthetically driven. Their lobby and bar are so well appointed. It was all the things the hotel is known for but turned up to a ten. I just felt cooler by being there.”

London

London / Photo: Benjamin Davies/Unsplash

“I love London. It feels like New York City with an accent. You gotta love a place where you can drink a pint in the street. I’m a huge theater nerd, so I spent tons of time in the West End. It was during the height of Covid, and I would buy three seats so no one was sitting next to me. I saw a bunch of shows—it’s how I kept myself company. One of the most powerful plays I saw was White Noise at the Bridge Theatre.”

New York City

JFK / Photo: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

“For research I traveled in and out a lot during the process of making How to Die Alone. I spent a lot of time in JFK taking pictures and videos of the staff. They were very confused when I got excited when the golf carts went by, but they’ll understand when they watch the show! I see tons of theater when I’m in New York, and love walking up to the Theater District. I usually stay at the Pendry. Recently I went inside the ‘brand-new’ Penn Station and was like, Oh, my God, this is an experience! I also like Yum Yum Too in Hell’s Kitchen—it’s fire for Thai food.”

Thailand

2 Fishes / Photo: Courtesy of 2 Fishes

“I did as much traveling as production would allow during filming for The White Lotus. Thailand is a very beautiful and peaceful place. It’s hard to put words to it, but the calm is tangible. I frequented 2 Fishes a lot. The owner is Australian and has lived there for more than 20 years. It’s right on the water and they specialize in Italian-hybrid cuisine. By the end it felt like Cheers—everybody knew our names. It felt like family, and that’s indicative of the country as a whole.”