Join us a 'Journey of the Working Actor' conversation with Natasha Rothwell, Michelle Buteau and Ronny Chieng. This panel of actors will share and discuss how their experience from writing and performing comedy has led to other opportunities in their acting career. Moderated by Neha Joy. 

Michelle Buteau is an actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She created, executive produces and stars in the Netflix comedy series, “Survival of the Thickest,” which was just renewed for a third and final season. Michelle made history as the first woman to tape a comedy special at Radio City Music Hall with A BUTEAU-FUL MIND, following her Critics Choice-winning comedy special WELCOME TO BUTEAUPIA. She recently announced her latest stand-up tour, “The Surviving and Thriving Tour,” which will begin later this year. Michelle is also known for hosting Netflix’s “The Circle,” the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, and the Vanity Fair Oscar Party livestream, with acting credits in BABES, MARRY ME, FIRST WIVES CLUB, ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE, and more.

Natasha Rothwell is the creator, executive producer, and star of the critically acclaimed Hulu series HOW TO DIE ALONE, which is currently streaming. Natasha is best known for her Emmy Nominated performance in HBO’s THE WHITE LOTUS and reprised her role as Belinda Lindsey in the highly viewed third season of the series. She is also known for her critically acclaimed work as a series regular, writer, director, and producer on HBO’s INSECURE, for which she has won a Peabody Award and received the 2022 NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Having previously written for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, and after penning screenplays for Netflix, Paramount, and HBO Max— Natasha’s original screenplay BLACK COMIC-CON was selected for the 2021 Sundance Screenwriters Lab. Her genre-bending feature, along with several other projects, are in development at her production company, BIG HATTIE PRODUCTIONS—founded in 2020 to focus on creating, producing, and developing projects that champion marginalized voices in subversive ways. Under the banner, she is currently developing a TV adaptation of “Who TF Did I Marry?,” a viral series posted to TikTok by Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson earlier this year. In addition to starring as Johnson, Rothwell will serve as executive producer.

Ronny Chieng is an Emmy Award-winning comedian, writer, and actor who was born in Malaysia and currently lives in New York City. He has been a correspondent on The Daily Show since 2015, after Trevor Noah saw him perform at the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival. Ronny got his comedy start in Australia, where he had multiple stand-up specials after gaining popularity from touring with Bill Burr. While in Australia, he created and starred in the sitcom Ronny Chieng: International Student, which aired on the Australian Broadcasting Corp and later on Comedy Central in the US. He gained worldwide recognition in 2018 when he starred in the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians, based on Kevin Kwan’s bestselling novel. Ronny has since built an impressive acting career, starring in major films like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Universal’s hit horror film M3GAN. He also appears in Randall Park’s directorial debut Shortcomings (Sony Pictures Classics), Hulu’s Vacation Friends 2 alongside John Cena, and the animated feature Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow. On television, Ronny has been a constant presence, with credits including Mel Brooks’ History of the World, Part II (Hulu), Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. (Disney+), and NBC’s Young Rock. He currently stars in Hulu’s critically acclaimed drama series Interior Chinatown, directed by Taika Waititi, and Disney+’s American Born Chinese, based on Gene Luen Yang’s award-winning graphic novel. Ronny is also one of the most in-demand stand-up comedians, selling out venues worldwide. His latest Netflix special, Love to Hate It, is currently streaming and was named the Best Comedy Special of the Year by The New York Times. His previous specials, Asian Comedian Destroys America! and Speakeasy, trended globally.