INDIANAPOLIS — Ten years ago, Conrad Ricamora ("Oh, Mary!," "Fire Island") had his television series debut in the Viola Davis-starring crime drama "How to Get Away with Murder."
Now, Ricamora is co-starring in the Hulu comedy "How to Die Alone," alongside series creator and actress Natasha Rothwell ("The White Lotus," "Insecure").
"I guess I'm a big 'how to' TV show guy," Ricamora joked on the series' titles.
The eight-episode series follows a broke, fat, Black airport employee (Rothwell), who gets a new lease on life after an accidental brush with death.
"I have been a fan of her since that bit part as the drama teacher in 'Love, Simon.' I was like, who is this? I want to work with her," Ricamora said. "To meet Natasha and have her exceed my expectations – not only as a creator, but also as a friend and as a kind, warm human being – has been the biggest blessings of the last two years."
Ricamora plays Rory, who is best friends with Rothwell's character.
"Rory is messy, messy, messy — a messy gay man. I drew on my experiences in my 20s when I had no clue what I wanted from the world, who I was and made all kinds of mistakes with jobs and relationships, and Rory is no exception," Ricamora said. "I'm thankful that me, Conrad, am no longer there in my personal life, but I definitely have been there, and that's what I drew upon to play Rory."
"How to Die Alone" is part of Disney's Onyx Collective, which shares stories by creators of color and underrepresented voices, all with a culturally specific point of view.
"I am an Asian American gay man. Growing up in this country, I didn't see myself at all on camera. Sometimes when I did see myself, it was very negative stereotypes that I was seeing," Ricamora said. "To be part of this show and the Onyx family now is something that not only feels like a relief for me, but a relief for my younger, little baby Conrad that needed this type of representation."
With a 90% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, there's certainly hope and interest for a second season of "How to Die Alone."
"I love this show so much. It's a comedy, but it's also very true and honest to real-life experiences, which can also be painful," Ricamora said. "I'm excited for people to dive into this world."
All eight episodes of "How to Die Alone" are now streaming on Hulu.