Natasha Rothwell Recalls Carrying A Fake $40K ‘Delulu’ Check In Her Wallet To Manifest Paying Off Her Student Loans

Actress, writer and producer, Natasha Rothwell, once carried a $40,000 check written out to herself in her wallet long before she earned her first big paycheck.

In a recent CNN interview, the Emmy-nominated actress explained that the check represented the exact amount she needed to pay off her student loans. While living paycheck to paycheck and sometimes relying on discarded MetroCards to get home, Rothwell would look at it and remind herself, “One day, I am gonna be able to cash this check and pay off (my loans).”

That day finally came with her first big paycheck, and she recalled closing out her Sallie Mae account with the check in hand.

“Money is emotional,” Rothwell told CNN, reflecting on how graduating with a theater degree during a recession left her constantly worried about how she’d survive. Though she admitted it might have been “pretty delulu” to carry a fake check, “A little delulu never hurt nobody,” she added.

Rothwell further explained in the CNN interview that once financial worries no longer consumed her mental energy, that space was freed up for bigger dreams. She recalled, “There was a time in my life when I thought, ‘Will there ever be a time where I’m not thinking about where my next check is coming from to pay my rent.’ When you’re no longer in that space, the mental real estate those concerns take up can be replaced by dreams and ambition.”

With that shift in mindset, Rothwell was able to focus on building her career. Before her breakout role as Kelli Prenny on Issa Rae’s TV show “Insecure,” Rothwell worked as a high school drama teacher in the Bronx, later joining “Saturday Night Live” as a writer, according to the Los Angeles Times. On “Insecure,” she quickly transitioned from the writers’ room to the screen and earned an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, as reported by the Southern Maryland Chronicle.

She went on to earn her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Season 1 of “The White Lotus.” This year’s return to the series has landed her a second nomination, this time for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, as Deadline reports.

Rothwell also created, produced and starred in the Hulu series “How to Die Alone,” a nearly decade-long project that uses comedy and magical realism to tell stories about loneliness and self-discovery, according to Vogue.

Beyond her entertainment career, Rothwell joined the Belonging and Mattering Council (BMC) and the Web3 pledge by BFF and Skai Blue Media, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. This opportunity allowed her to tap into her background in arts education and the entertainment industry to advocate for marginalized groups, help create more opportunities and promote equity for underserved communities in Web3. 

Rothwell has come a long way since writing the $40,000 check she considered to be “delulu.” Still, as she shared with CNN, it was a way for her to maintain hope, stay focused on her goals, and navigate uncertain times while building her career in the entertainment industry.