Entertainment

Peters Township native, IUP grad stars in new Netflix comedy special

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh native is starring in a new comedy special for Netflix, and it premieres globally on Dec. 1.

Natalie Palamides grew up in Peters Township and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2012 and has since worked as an actress, comedian and writer in film and TV in Los Angeles.

Her new special, “Nate -- A One Man Show,” which is executive produced by Amy Poehler and Kim Lessing and directed by Phillip Burgers, follows an alpha male (played by Palamides) “learning to express emotion and understand the rules of consent.”

“It’s an incredible accomplishment by Natalie to have achieved this kind of recognition this early in her career,” Brian Jones, chair of IUP’s Department of Theatre, Dance and Performance, said. “This speaks to her perseverance, her creativity, her talent, and her ability to take what she learned at IUP and turn it into an amazing piece of art.”

According to a release from her alma mater, in 2016 Palamides was selected to be the voice of the Buttercup character on “Powerpuff Girls” when Cartoon Network launched a reboot of the series. She also has a recurring role as ‘Mara’ on the Progressive Insurance commercials.