Natasha Rothwell is ready to step into her upcoming role as “Reesa Teesa.”
As previously reported by theGrio, the actress is scheduled to star in the TV adaption of the viral “Who TF did I Marry” TikTok saga. While fans reportedly envisioned her playing in a Hollywood adaptation of the viral 52-part series, Rothwell says producing the series was the last thing on her mind.
“I binged it on site,” she told People magazine, remembering the first time she watched the social media videos. “[I did not think] ‘Oh, how do I make this into something?’I [but rather] ‘I want to do everything in my power to help this woman get her flowers,’ because it was the most vulnerable act of honesty [and] radical vulnerability that I’d ever seen.”
Earlier this year, social media could not stop talking about Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson and her captivating recounting of her marriage and divorce to the man she refers to as “Legion.” Candidly sharing the details of her complicated experience married to “Legion” who she claims is a pathological liar, Johnson’s videos each amassed over six million views on social media. So, Rothwell was not surprised to see “very competitive” negotiations unfold in Hollywood for Johnson’s story.
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However, unlike other producers and executives, Rothwell had a unique vision for her adaptation of “Who TF Did I Marry.”
“It was not her trauma that interested me and [made me] want to throw my hat in the ring,” she explained. “It was her — who she is as a person, how she survived all of it — and viral fame, how she’s surviving that. I was like, ‘Oh, now this is when I lean in.’”
After dedicating almost eight years to creating her recently released Hulu show “How to Die Alone,” the actress and producer says she took a similar approach in her negotiations with Johnson. Ultimately her “ if it’s meant to be, it will happen” attitude paid off when she was notified that the viral TikTok storyteller specifically wanted to work with her.
“ I got the call from my team, [and they said], ‘She specifically wants to work with you. You saw her in the meeting. She felt seen. It wasn’t opportunistic,’” she added.
However, just as Johnson felt seen, the “How to Die Alone” actress felt seen when the duo met for dinner earlier this month. Feeling like she met her “twin,” Rothwell compared their interaction to being in “a mutual love bubble of just enjoying each other and understanding each other and learning about each other.”
“I’m definitely excited to approach her story in a 360 [degree] way and not just … retell the story we’ve all consumed. I think she’s far more interesting than what has happened to her,” she said, revealing that the series is in “a very nascent stage.”
