Natasha Rothwell reveals her inspiring and ‘delulu’ true story about paying off her student loans

By Dan Heching, CNN

(CNN) — Belinda coming into some serious money in Season 3 of “The White Lotus” has everyone thinking about what they’d do with a similar windfall.

For Emmy-nominee Natasha Rothwell – who famously portrayed resort wellness employee Belinda in both the first and third seasons of the acclaimed Mike White-created satirical series – the idea prompted a candid and emotional story about her personal finances before she earned her first big paycheck in the arts.

In a recent interview with CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister, Rothwell explained how she paid off her college loans with that paycheck, but it was what she did before she had the money that was interesting.

“I wrote a check to myself for like $40,000, because that would pay pay off my student loans, or a portion of it, and I just carried it around with me in my wallet while I was broke, picking up Metrocards in New York, and hoping one of them could get me home,” Rothwell shared.

“And it was just, I was like, ‘One day, I am gonna be able to cash this check and pay off (my loans),” she continued. “And I just remember, when I was on the phone with Sallie Mae and closing out my account, and I had that check in my hand.”

Rothwell noted how emotional the moment was, “because money is emotional.”

“I think especially if you’ve been preoccupied with how you’re going to get it and how you’re going to live, and I had graduated with a theater degree during a recession, so it was scary times and it just took a lot of faith to make sure that that could happen.”

And although she added that it might be “pretty delulu to write a check like that to yourself and put it in your wallet,” Rothwell is a firm believer in the law of attraction.

“I think it, it helps a little bit. A little delulu never hurt nobody!”

Rothwell is nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series at next month’s Emmy awards. The nod is one of 23 that “The White Lotus” has received this year.

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