Issa Rae
Issa Rae | |
|---|---|
 Rae in 2017 | |
| Born | Jo-Issa Rae Diop January 12, 1985 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Joissa Diop |
| Alma mater | Stanford University |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2011–present |
Notable work | Awkward Black Girl, Insecure |
| Spouse(s) | Louis Diame (m. 2021) |
| Website | issarae |
Jo-Issa Rae Diop[1] (born January 12, 1985),[2] credited professionally as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, and producer. Rae first garnered attention for her work on the YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl.[3] Since 2011, Rae has continued to develop her YouTube channel, which features various short films, web series, and other content created by people of color.[4][5]
Rae has achieved wider recognition as the co-creator, co-writer, and star of the HBO television series Insecure (2016–present), for which she has been nominated for multiple Golden Globes Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards.[6][7] Her 2015 memoir, titled The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, became a New York Times best-seller. In 2018, Rae was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.[8]
Rae has also starred in feature films, with roles in the drama The Hate U Give (2018), the fantasy comedy Little (2019), the romance The Photograph (2020), and the romantic comedy The Lovebirds (2020). She will also voice Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2022).
Early life[]
Jo-Issa Rae Diop was born in Los Angeles, California.[9] Her father, Abdoulaye Diop, is a pediatrician and neonatologist from Senegal, and her mother, Delyna Diop (née Hayward), is a teacher from Louisiana.[10][11][12] Her parents met in France, when they were both in school. She has four siblings. Her father has a medical practice in Inglewood, California.[13]:xiii
The family lived in Dakar, Senegal,[1] for a short period during her childhood.[14] She was raised mostly in Potomac, Maryland, where she grew up with "things that aren't considered 'black,' like the swim team and street hockey and Passover dinners with Jewish best friends."[15] When Diop was in sixth grade, her family moved to the affluent View Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, where she attended a predominantly black middle school. Diop graduated from King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science, where she started acting.[1] Her parents divorced when she was in high school.[13]:100–102 Diop is fluent in French.[16]
In 2007, Diop graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in African and African-American Studies. As a college student, she made music videos, wrote and directed plays, and created a mock reality series called Dorm Diaries for fun. At Stanford, Diop met Tracy Oliver, who helped produce Awkward Black Girl and starred on the show as Nina.[15]
After college, Diop received a theater fellowship at The Public Theater in New York City.[1] Oliver and Diop started taking classes together at the New York Film Academy. Diop worked odd jobs and at one point was struggling to decide between business school and law school, but eventually abandoned both ideas when Awkward Black Girl started taking off in 2011.[10]
Career[]
Awkward Black Girl[]
Rae's web series Awkward Black Girl premiered on YouTube in 2011.[17] The show follows the life of J (played by Rae) as she interacts with co-workers and love interests who place her in uncomfortable situations. The story is told through a first-person narrative as J usually reveals how she feels about her circumstances through voice-over or dream sequence.
The series eventually went viral through word of mouth, blog posts, and social media, resulting in mainstream media coverage and attention.[18][19][20] In an effort to fund the rest of the first season, Rae and producer Tracy Oliver decided to raise money for the series through Kickstarter. On August 11, 2011 they were awarded $56,269 from 1,960 donations and released the rest of season one on Rae's YouTube channel.[21]
Rae eventually partnered with Pharrell and premiered season two of the series on his YouTube channel, iamOTHER.[22] Rae also began releasing other content on her original channel, predominantly created by and starring people of color.[23]
In 2013, Awkward Black Girl won a Shorty award for Best Web Show. Rae created Awkward Black Girl because she felt the Hollywood stereotypes of African-American women were limiting and she could not relate to them:
I've always had an issue with the [assumption] that people of color, and black people especially, aren't relatable. I know we are.[24]
By using YouTube as her forum, Rae was able to have autonomy of her work because she writes, films, produces, and edits most of her work. Rae's other shows—Ratchet Piece Theater, The "F" Word, Roomieloverfriends, and The Choir, among others—also focus on African-American experiences that are often not portrayed in the mainstream media.[25]
Insecure[]
In 2013, Rae began working on a comedy series pilot with Larry Wilmore, in which she would star.[26] The series, about the awkward experiences of a contemporary African-American woman, was eventually titled Insecure. HBO picked up the pilot in early 2015 and it was subsequently greenlit.[27] Since its release in 2016, the series has received critical acclaim; Eric Deggans of NPR wrote that "Rae has produced a series that feels revolutionary just by poking fun at the life of an average, twenty-something black woman."[28]
In 2017, the American Film Institute selected Insecure as one of the top 10 Television Programs of the Year.[29] For her acting work on the show, Rae has received two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2017 and 2018,[30] as well as a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2018.
In 2018, at the 77th annual Peabody Awards, Insecure was honored for "creating a series that authentically captures the lives of everyday young, black people in modern society."[31]
On November 14, 2016, HBO renewed the show for a second season.[32] The second season premiered on July 23, 2017.[33] On August 8, 2017, it was announced that the show was renewed for a third season,[34] which premiered on August 12, 2018. The fourth season premiered on HBO in 2020.
The Photograph[]
Released in 2020, follows the journey of Issa’s character, Mae Morton, and LaKeith Stanfield's character Michael Block, as the two search for the backstory of Mae’s mother. The New York Times mentioned this film as “an unabashedly old-school love story”.[35] The Empire said that “The Photograph is an African-American romance that, for the most part, feels relatable and true”.[36]
The Love Birds[]
Released in 2020, directed by Michael Showalter, Rae played the role of Leilani. The film starred Kumail Nanjani, who played Jibran, Leilani's boyfriend. Throughout the film, the couple struggles to maintain their relationship and during this, they face an eventful murder.
Other work[]
Rae's first book, a memoir titled The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, was released in 2015 and became a New York Times best-seller.[37] In the book, she chronicles her life through a series of humorous anecdotes and opens up about her personal struggle with not fitting in, and not being considered "black enough" at times.[11]
On October 11, 2019, Google announced that Rae would be an additional voice to the Google Assistant. Users can make Google Assistant speak in Rae's voice by saying "Ok Google, talk like Issa."[38]
Also in 2019, Rae, through her newly launched record label "Raedio," partnered with Atlantic Records to produce "Kinda Love" by singer-rapper TeaMarrr.[39]
In March 2021, Rae's production company, Hoorae, signed a five-year film and television deal with WarnerMedia.[40]
Personal life[]
Rae's birth name, Jo-Issa, comes from a combination of the names of her grandmothers: Joyce and Isseu. Her middle name, Rae, is after an aunt, who was an artist.[15]
Rae married her longtime partner, Louis Diame, a Senegalese businessman, in a private ceremony in France in July 2021.[41] Rae first wore her engagement ring publicly on the cover of Essence magazine's April 2019 issue.[41]
Activism[]
Rae has used her platform to bring attention to police violence and brutality against African-Americans. Following the police shooting of Alton Sterling in 2016, she raised $700,000 for the Sterling Family Trust to help pay for the Sterling children to attend college.[42]
Rae is an advocate for civil rights and women’s rights movements. Her work includes themes of equality and social justice. She works closely with organizations like the ACLU, BLD PWR, and Black Lives Matter.[43]
Her show Insecure has changed the public perception of the South Los Angeles community by highlighting Black businesses.[44]
In the media[]
In 2012, Rae was included on the annual Forbes '30 Under 30' list in the entertainment section.[45]
In May 2015, Rae appeared on the cover of Essence magazine's Game Changers issue, alongside Shonda Rhimes, Ava DuVernay, Debbie Allen, and Mara Brock Akil. Rae expressed her desire for more people of color working in production behind the scenes to make a lasting impact in the television industry.[46]
On the red carpet at the 2017 Emmy Awards, Rae told reporters, "I'm rooting for everybody black." The quote went viral and appeared on T-shirts and in the song "Sue Me" by the rapper Wale.[47]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Executive producer |
Notes | Other credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Hard Times | N/A | Yes | Short film | |
| Black Twitter Screening | N/A | No | Short film | Writer | |
| Protect and Serve | Police Recruit | Yes | Short film | ||
| A Bitter Lime | Jane Johnson | No | |||
| 2015 | Killing Lazarus | N/A | producer | ||
| 2018 | The Hate U Give | April Ofrah | No | ||
| 2019 | Little | April Williams | No | ||
| Hair Love | Mom (voice) | No | Short film | ||
| 2020 | The Photograph | Mae Morton | Yes | ||
| The Lovebirds | Leilani | Yes | |||
| 2022 | Untitled Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sequel | Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman (voice) | No | In production | |
| TBA | Vengeance | No | Post-production |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Executive producer |
Notes | Other credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2013 | The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl | J | producer | Main cast | director, writer, 1 episode: "The Sleepover" (2012); producer, 1 episode: "The Check" (2013) |
| 2012 | M.O. Diaries | N/A | Yes | TV pilot | |
| The Couple | Lisa | No | episode: "Exes and Texts" | ||
| 2012–2013 | The Number | Lisa | No | 6 episodes | |
| 2013 | How Men Become Dogs | N/A | Yes | 9 episodes | |
| True Friendship Society | Mama Moth | No | episode: "Pilot Part Two" | ||
| My Roommate the | J | No | episode: "Awkward Black Girl" | ||
| Instacurity | Issa | No | 2 episodes: "The Birthday Party" and "Instacurity PSA" | ||
| Little Horribles | Best Friend | Yes | executive producer, 3 episodes; actor, 1 episode: "Sexual Activity" | ||
| Inside Web Series | N/A | Yes | TV series documentary | ||
| Black Actress | N/A | producer | |||
| 2013–2014 | Roomieloverfriends | N/A | Yes | executive producer, 4 episodes | |
| 2013–2015 | The Choir | N/A | Yes | director, 2 episodes: "Genesis" and "New Blood"; writer, 12 episodes | |
| 2014 | So Jaded | N/A | Yes | TV movie | |
| Words with Girls | N/A | Yes | TV movie | ||
| Bleach | N/A | Yes | TV movie | ||
| Rubberhead | Bride 2 | No | TV movie; segment: "Absorption" | ||
| 2014–2015 | First | N/A | Yes | co-executive producer, 10 episodes; co-producer, 1 episodes | |
| 2015 | Get Your Life | N/A | Yes | ||
| 2016–present | Insecure | Issa Dee | Yes | Main cast | creator, writer |
| 2018 | BoJack Horseman | Dr. Indira (voice) | No | 2 episodes | |
| 2019 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | N/A | Yes | ||
| 2020 | Coastal Elites | Callie Josephson | No | ||
| Saturday Night Live | Herself (host) | No | Episode: "Issa Rae/Justin Bieber" | ||
| TBA | Rap Sh*t[48] | Yes | creator, writer |
Music videos[]
| Year | Song | Artist | Director(s) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | "Happy" | Pharrell Williams | We Are from L.A. | Dancer |
| 2017 | "Moonlight" | Jay-Z | Alan Yang | Rachel Green |
| "Spice Girl" | Aminé | Aminé | Girlfriend | |
| 2018 | "Nice for What" | Drake | Karena Evans | Herself |
| 2019 | "Kinda Love" | TeaMarrr | Child. | Therapist |
| 2020 | "Lights On" | D Smoke, SiR | Jack Begert | Stripper |
| "Entrepreneur" | Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z | Calmatic | Herself |
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Insecure | Nominated | [49] |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [50] | ||
| Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| NAMIC Vision Awards | Best Performance - Comedy | Won | |||
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Next Generation | Nominated | [51] | ||
| TCA Awards | Individual Achievement in Comedy | Nominated | [52] | ||
| BET Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [53] | ||
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | ||||
| 2018 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | [54] | |
| Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Won | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [55] | ||
| Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| Entertainer of the Year | Herself | Nominated | |||
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Performance in a Show | Insecure | Nominated | [56] | |
| BET Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [57] | ||
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | |||
| Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [58] | ||
| 2019 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series | Nominated | [59] | |
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [60] | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [61] | ||
| Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film) | BoJack Horseman | Nominated | |||
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Insecure | Won | ||
| Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| 2020 | BET Awards | Best Actress | Won | [62] | |
| TCA Awards | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Comedy | Nominated | [63] | ||
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | [64] | ||
| Outstanding Comedy Series | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Insecure | Nominated | [65] | |
| Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Variety Sketch Series | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Nominated | [66] | ||
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Insecure | Nominated | [67] |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Comedic Performance | Nominated | [68] | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | The Photograph | Nominated | [69] | |
| Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy or Drama Series | Saturday Night Live | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Insecure | Won | |||
| Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | [70] | ||
| BET Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [71] | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Pending | [72] |
Works and publications[]
- Rae, Issa (2015). The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. New York, NY: 37 Ink/Atria – Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781476749051. OCLC 901338241.
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Wortham, Jenna (August 4, 2015). "The Misadventures of Issa Rae". The New York Times.
- ^ "UPI Almanac for Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020". United Press International. January 12, 2020. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
…actor/singer Issa Rae in 1985 (age 35)
- ^ Gopalan, Nisha (February 28, 2013). "Issa Rae on Awkward Black Girl, Her Shonda Rhimes Show, and Hating L.A. Guys". Vulture.
- ^ Kang, Inkoo (August 7, 2015). "Issa Rae's Long Road: When Are We Finally Going to Stop Wondering if Women of Color Are "Relatable"?Tumisang Marumo's friend Waxx". Indiewire.
- ^ Johnson, Margeaux (October 1, 2014). "Issa Rae's Color Creative Calls for TV Diversity". EBONY.
- ^ Hughes, William (June 23, 2016). "Issa Rae is still an Awkward Black Girl in the trailer for HBO's Insecure". The A.V. Club.
- ^ Respers France, Lisa (July 5, 2016). "Issa Rae's 'Insecure' may already be a hit". CNN.
- ^ "Issa Rae: The World's 100 Most Influential People". Time. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ "Joissa Rae Diop Potomac Maryland Birth Index". FamilySearch. January 12, 1985.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Gray, Emma (November 5, 2013). "Issa Rae, Creator Of 'Awkward Black Girl', Felt Like Her Voice Was Missing From Pop Culture – So Here's What She Did". The Huffington Post.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Obaro, Tomi (February 16, 2015). "Issa Rae on Her New Memoir and Being "Halfrican"". Chicago.
- ^ "Who is Issa Rae?". March 6, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Rae, Issa (2015). The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. New York, NY: 37 Ink/Atria – Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781476749051. OCLC 901338241.
- ^ Brown, Stacia L. (February 10, 2015). "Meet the Black _________". The New Republic.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Hua, Vanessa (May 2012). "Awkward Stage: A web sitcom's quirky black heroine is poised for takeoff". Stanford Magazine.
- ^ "Issa Rae's Motivational Mantra (and 5 Other Facts)". O, the Oprah Magazine. Harpo Productions. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Brown, S Tia (September 12, 2011). "Nerdy Girls Rock". Jet. Vol. 120. Iss. 11. p. 31.
- ^ Whitfield, Fredricka (October 8, 2011). "'Awkward Black Girl' web hit" (video interview). CNN.
- ^ Anderson, Stacy A. (September 12, 2011). "Diverse Web series grows through social media". The Philadelphia Tribune. The Associated Press.
- ^ Andrews, Helena (July 6, 2011). "Embracing the Awkward, One Webisode at a Time". The Root.
- ^ "Update 1: Update Video: Thank You for Over $40K Raised!". The Misadventures of AWKWARD Black Girl. Kickstarter. August 8, 2011.
- ^ Shannon (June 15, 2012). "Pharrell Williams Teams Up With Awkward Black Girl & Launches New Brand". Pink is the New Blog.
- ^ Caramanica, Jon (July 13, 2012). "Issa Rae and 'Awkward Black Girl' Are Breaking Ground". The New York Times.
- ^ Sherman, S. (2015). Issa Rae, "Making The black Experience Relatable". Sun Reporter, 9.
- ^ Favreau, Jon (December 16, 2016). "Creativity Roundtable: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Donald Glover, Issa Rae and Damien Chazelle in One Epic Conversation" (Video roundtable includes transcript). The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Issa Rae & Larry Wilmore To Create 'Non-Prophet' For HBO". Vibe. August 6, 2013.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 15, 2015). "Issa Rae Comedy 'Insecure' Gets HBO Series Order". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
- ^ "At TV Press Tour, Actors And Producers Of Color Speak Of Hollywood Struggles".
- ^ "AFI Awards 2017". www.afi.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
- ^ "Issa Rae". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
- ^ "Insecure (HBO)". Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 14, 2016). "'Westworld', 'Divorce' & 'Insecure' Renewed For Season 2 By HBO". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- ^ "Issa Rae on Twitter".
- ^ Lockett, Dee (August 8, 2017). "Insecure Is Hella Renewed for Season Three". Vulture. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ Dargis, Manohla (February 13, 2020). "'The Photograph' Review: An Unabashedly Old-School Love Story". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ "The Photograph". Empire. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ Luther, Alison (May 14, 2019). "What Issa Rae reads". She Reads. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ "Google on Instagram: "Meet the new voice of your Google Assistant: @issarae!