Issa Rae | |
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![]() Rae atSXSW 2025 | |
Born | JoIssa Rae Diop (1985-01-12)January 12, 1985 (age 40) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Other names | JoIssa Diop-Diame |
Education | Stanford University (BA) |
Occupations |
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Years active | 2011–present |
Spouse | |
Website | issarae |
Signature | |
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JoIssa Rae Diop[1] (born January 12, 1985),[2] known professionally asIssa Rae, is an American actress, writer, and producer.[3][4] She achieved recognition as the co-creator, co-writer, and star of theHBO comedy seriesInsecure (2016–2021), for which she was nominated for multipleGolden Globes Awards andPrimetime Emmy Awards.[5][6]
Rae first garnered attention for her work on theYouTube web seriesAwkward Black Girl (2011–2013).[7][8][9] Her 2015 memoir, titledThe Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, became aNew York Times bestseller. Rae formed the production companyHoorae Media in 2020.
Rae has also featured in films, with roles in the dramaThe Hate U Give (2018); the fantasy comedyLittle (2019); the romanceThe Photograph (2020); the romantic comedyThe Lovebirds (2020); the comedy thrillerVengeance (2022); and the comediesBarbie andAmerican Fiction (both 2023). She also had a voice role in the short filmHair Love (2019) and voicedJess Drew / Spider-Woman inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).[10]
In 2018 and 2022, Rae was included in the annualTime 100 list of the most influential people in the world,[11][12] and in 2014 in theForbes '30 Under 30' list in the entertainment section.[13] She was recognized with thePeabody Trailblazer Award and theProducers Guild of America Visionary Award.
Jo-Issa Rae Diop was born in Los Angeles, California.[14] Her father, Abdoulaye Diop, is apediatrician andneonatologist fromSenegal, and her mother, Delyna Marie Diop (née Hayward), is ateacher fromLouisiana.[3][15][16] Her parents met inFrance, when they were both in school.[17] She has four siblings. Her father has a medical practice inInglewood, California.[18]: xiii
The family lived inDakar, Senegal,[1] during some of her childhood.[19] She was raised mostly inPotomac, Maryland, where she grew up with "things that aren't considered 'black,' like theswim team andstreet hockey andPassover dinners with Jewish best friends."[20] Rae was raisedCatholic, her mother's faith.[21]
When Rae was in sixth grade, her family moved to the affluentView Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, where she attended a predominantly blackmiddle school. Rae graduated fromKing Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science, where she started acting.[1] Her parents divorced when she was in high school.[18]: 100–102 Rae is fluent in French.[22]
In 2007, Rae graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in African andAfrican-American Studies. As a college student, she made music videos, wrote and directed plays, and created a mock reality series calledDorm Diaries for fun. At Stanford, Rae metTracy Oliver, who helped produceAwkward Black Girl and starred on the show as Nina.[20]
After college, Rae received a theater fellowship atThe Public Theater in New York City.[1] Oliver and Rae started taking classes together at theNew York Film Academy. Rae worked odd jobs and at one point was struggling to decide betweenbusiness school andlaw school, but abandoned both prospects whenAwkward Black Girl gained wider popularity in 2011.[15]
Rae's web seriesAwkward Black Girl premiered on YouTube in 2011.[23] 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 went viral through word of mouth, blog posts, and social media, resulting in mainstream media coverage and attention.[24][25][26] 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.[27]
Rae partnered withPharrell and premiered season two of the series on his YouTube channel iamOTHER.[28] Rae began releasing other content on her original channel, predominantly created by and starring people of color.[29]
In 2013,Awkward Black Girl won aShorty award for Best Web Show. Rae createdAwkward 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.[30]
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, andThe Choir, among others—also focus on African-American experiences that are often not portrayed in the mainstream media.[31] Rae's YouTube series often imitate the production style of network television comedies, including "cut-away scenes" showing imagined behavior, similar to those seen inScrubs andHow I Met Your Mother.[32]
In 2013, Rae began working on a comedy series pilot withLarry Wilmore, in which she would star.[33] The series, about the awkward experiences of a contemporary African-American woman, was eventually titledInsecure. HBO picked up the pilot in early 2015 and it was subsequentlygreenlit.[34] 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."[35]
In late 2016 Rae's mother, Delyna Diop, was featured in season 1, playing Rae's role model in her guest appearance.[36]
In 2017, theAmerican Film Institute selectedInsecure as one of thetop 10 Television Programs of the Year.[37] For her acting work on the show, Rae has received two Golden Globe Award nominations forBest Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2017 and 2018,[38] as well as three Primetime Emmy Award nominations forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2018, 2020, and 2022.
In 2018, at the 77th annualPeabody Awards,Insecure was honored for "creating a series that authentically captures the lives of everyday young, black people in modern society."[39]
On November 14, 2016, HBO renewed the show for a second season.[40] The second season premiered on July 23, 2017.[41] On August 8, 2017, it was announced that the show was renewed for a third season,[42] which premiered on August 12, 2018. Season five premiered October 24, 2021. The final episode ofInsecure aired December 26, 2021.
Released in 2020,The Photograph follows the journey of Issa's character, Mae Morton, andLaKeith Stanfield's character Michael Block, as the two search for the backstory of Mae's mother.The New York Times said the film is "an unabashedly old-school love story".[43]Empire magazine said that "The Photograph is an African-American romance that, for the most part, feels relatable and true".[44]
Released in 2020,The Lovebirds directed byMichael Showalter, Rae played the role of Leilani. The film also starredKumail Nanjiani, who played Jibran, Leilani's boyfriend. Throughout the film, the couple struggles to maintain their relationship and during this, they face an eventful murder.
Rae's first book, a memoir titledThe Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, was released in 2015 and became aNew York Times bestseller.[45] 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.[16]
In 2016, Rae created the podcast calledFruit.
On October 11, 2019, Google announced that Rae would be an additional voice to theGoogle Assistant. Users could make Google Assistant speak in Rae's voice by saying "Ok Google, talk like Issa."[46] Issa's voice was available until Friday, October 1, 2021.[47]
Also in 2019, Rae, through her newly launched record label Raedio, partnered withAtlantic Records to produce "Kinda Love" by singer-rapper TeaMarrr.[48]
In March 2021, Rae's production company,Hoorae, signed a five-year film and television deal withWarnerMedia.[49] In 2021,Sweet Life: Los Angeles, a reality television program created by Rae, was produced as part of this deal.[50]
Rae is a co-owner ofHilltop Coffee + Kitchen, a Los Angeles-based independent coffee chain.[51]
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.[20]
Rae married her longtime boyfriend, Louis Diame, aSenegalese businessman, in a private ceremony in France in July 2021.[52] Rae first wore her engagement ring publicly on the cover ofEssence magazine's April 2019 issue.[52]
In 2012, Rae was included on the annualForbes '30 Under 30' list in the entertainment section.[13] She was listed two times in the annualTime 100 list of the most influential people in the world.
In May 2015, Rae appeared on the cover ofEssence magazine's Game Changers issue, alongsideShonda Rhimes,Ava DuVernay,Debbie Allen, andMara 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.[53] On the red carpet at the 2017Emmy Awards, Rae told reporters, "I'm rooting for everybody Black." The quote wentviral and appeared onT-shirts and in the song "Sue Me" by the rapperWale.[54] Rae was also vocally supportive of the 2023Writers Guild of America strike.[55]
Rae is an advocate forcivil rights and women's rights movements. Her work includes themes of equality and social justice. She works closely with organizations like theACLU, BLD PWR, andBlack Lives Matter.[56] Rae has used her platform to bring attention to police violence and brutality against African-Americans. Following the policeshooting of Alton Sterling in 2016, she raised $700,000 for the Sterling Family Trust to help pay for the Sterling children to attend college.[57] Also in 2020, Rae told the Hollywood Reporter about how her staff and her wanted to support initiatives within organizations like Black Lives Matter and BLD PWR in order to hold the police accountable and to defund the police following the rise of police brutality. Rae also spoke of supporting these initiatives in hopes to also aid protesters working against the violence and brutality.[58]
Her showInsecure has changed the public perception of theSouth Los Angeles community by highlighting Black businesses.[59]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | Black Twitter Screening | — | Short film; writer only |
Protect and Serve | Police Recruit | Short film; also executive producer | |
A Bitter Lime | Jane Johnson | ||
2018 | The Hate U Give | April Ofrah | |
2019 | Little | April Williams | |
Hair Love | Mother | Short film; voice role | |
2020 | The Photograph | Mae Morton | Also executive producer |
The Lovebirds | Leilani | ||
Coastal Elites | Callie Josephson | ||
2022 | Vengeance | Eloise | |
2023 | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | Jess Drew / Spider-Woman | Voice role |
Barbie | President Barbie | ||
American Fiction | Sintara Golden | ||
TBA | Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse† | Jess Drew / Spider-Woman | Voice role; In production |
† | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2012–2013 | The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl | J | Main cast; also creator; director and writer for episode: "The Sleepover"; producer for episode: "The Check" |
2012 | The Couple | Lisa | Episode: "Exes and Texts" |
2012–2013 | The Number | Lisa | 6 episodes |
2013 | True Friendship Society | Mama Moth | Episode: "Pilot Part Two" |
My Roommate the | J | Episode: "Awkward Black Girl" | |
Instacurity | Issa | Episodes: "The Birthday Party" and "Instacurity PSA" | |
Little Horribles | Best Friend | Episode: "Sexual Activity"; also executive producer (3 episodes) | |
2014 | Rubberhead | Bride 2 | Television film; segment: "Absorption" |
2016–2021 | Insecure | Issa Dee | Main cast; also creator & writer |
2018 | BoJack Horseman | Dr. Indira (voice) | 2 episodes |
2019–2021 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Various | 6 episodes; also executive producer (16 episodes) |
2020 | Saturday Night Live | Herself (host) | Episode: "Issa Rae/Justin Bieber" |
Sesame Street | The Queen/The Princess | Episode: "Cardboard Castle" | |
BlackAF | Herself | Episode: "yo, between you and me... this is because of slavery" | |
2022 | Roar[60] | Wanda Shepard | Episode: "The Woman Who Disappeared" |
The Hair Tales | Herself | ||
2023 | Young Love | Angela Love (voice) | TV Series; 24 Episodes |
2025 | No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski' | Herself | Guest |
Black Mirror | Brandy | Episode: "Hotel Reverie" |
Year | Title | Credits | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | How Men Become Dogs | Executive producer | 9 episodes |
Little Horribles | 3 episodes | ||
Inside Web Series | Television documentary | ||
Black Actress | Producer | ||
2013–2014 | Roomieloverfriends | Executive producer | 4 episodes |
2013–2015 | The Choir | Executive producer; director (2 episodes); writer (12 episodes) | |
2014 | Hard Times | Executive producer | Short film |
So Jaded | Television film | ||
Words with Girls | |||
Bleach | |||
2014–2015 | First | Co-executive producer (10 episodes); co-producer (1 episode) | |
2015 | Get Your Life | Executive producer | |
Killing Lazarus | Producer | ||
2022 | Sweet Life: Los Angeles | Creator and executive producer | |
Rap Sh!t[61] | Creator, executive producer and writer | ||
2025 | One of Them Days | Producer |
Year | Song | Artist | Role |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | "Happy" | Pharrell Williams | Dancer |
2017 | "Moonlight" | Jay-Z | Rachel Green |
"Spice Girl" | Aminé | Girlfriend | |
2018 | "Nice for What" | Drake | Herself |
2019 | "Kinda Love" | TeaMarrr | Therapist |
2020 | "Lights On" | D Smoke,SiR | Stripper |
"Entrepreneur" | Pharrell Williams,Jay-Z | Herself |
Award | Year | Work | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Astra Film and Creative Awards | 2024 | Barbie | Best Cast Ensemble | Nominated | [62] |
Austin Film Critics Association | 2023 | Barbie | Best Ensemble | Nominated | [63] |
BET Awards | 2017 | Insecure | Best Actress | Nominated | [64] |
2018 | Nominated | [65] | |||
2020 | Won | [66] | |||
2021 | Nominated | [67] | |||
2022 | Nominated | [68] | |||
Black Film Critics Circle | 2023 | American Fiction | Best Ensemble | Won | [69] |
Black Reel Awards | 2017 | Insecure | Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | ||||
2018 | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | |||
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
2019 | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | |||
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
2020 | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | [70] | ||
Outstanding Comedy Series | Won | ||||
A Black Lady Sketch Show | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
Columbus Film Critics Association | 2024 | Barbie | Best Ensemble | Nominated | [71] |
Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 2024 | Barbie | Best Acting Ensemble | Nominated | [72] |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | 2019 | Insecure | Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [73] |
2021 | Nominated | [74] | |||
2022 | Nominated | [75] | |||
Florida Film Critics Circle | 2023 | Barbie | Best Ensemble | Nominated | [76] |
Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | 2024 | American Fiction | Best Ensemble | Nominated | [77][78] |
Barbie | Nominated | ||||
Golden Globe Awards | 2017 | Insecure | Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | [79] |
2018 | Nominated | [80] | |||
2022 | Nominated | [81] | |||
Gotham Awards | 2020 | Rap Sh!t | Breakthrough Series - Shortform | Nominated | [82] |
Gracie Awards | 2018 | Insecure | Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy or Musical | Won | |
Houston Film Critics Society | 2023 | Barbie | Best Ensemble Cast | Nominated | [83][84] |
MTV Movie & TV Awards | 2017 | Insecure | Next Generation | Nominated | [85] |
2018 | Best Performance in a Show | Nominated | [86] | ||
2021 | Best Comedic Performance | Nominated | [87] | ||
NAACP Image Awards | 2017 | Insecure | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [88] |
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
2018 | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [89] | ||
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
Herself | Entertainer of the Year | Nominated | |||
2019 | Insecure | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [90] | |
BoJack Horseman | Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film) | Nominated | |||
2021 | The Photograph | Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | Nominated | [91] | |
Saturday Night Live | Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy or Drama Series | Nominated | |||
Insecure | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | |||
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
2022 | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | [92] | ||
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Won | ||||
2024 | American Fiction | Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated | [93] | |
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | Outstanding Character Voice Performance – Motion Picture | Won | |||
Young Love | Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television) | Nominated | |||
NAMIC Vision Awards | 2017 | Insecure | Best Performance - Comedy | Won | |
2021 | Won | ||||
2022 | Nominated | ||||
North Carolina Film Critics Association | 2024 | Barbie | Best Acting Ensemble | Nominated | [94] |
Peabody Award | 2023 | Herself | Trailblazer Award | Won | [95] |
People's Choice Awards | 2020 | The Lovebirds | Female Movie Star of the Year | Nominated | [96] |
Comedy Movie Star of the Year | Nominated | ||||
The Photograph | Drama Movie Star of the Year | Nominated | |||
Insecure | Comedy TV Star of the Year | Nominated | |||
Portland Critics Association | 2024 | Barbie | Best Ensemble Cast | Nominated | [97][98] |
Primetime Emmy Awards | 2018 | Insecure | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [99] |
2020 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [100][101] | ||
Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
A Black Lady Sketch Show | Outstanding Variety Sketch Series | Nominated | |||
2021 | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [102] | ||
2022 | Outstanding Variety Sketch Series | Nominated | [103] | ||
Insecure | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
Producers Guild of America Awards | 2022 | Herself | Visionary Award | Won | [104] |
San Diego Film Critics Society | 2023 | Barbie | Best Ensemble | Runner-up | [105] |
Satellite Awards | 2018 | Insecure | Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Won | [106] |
2019 | Nominated | [107] | |||
2021 | Nominated | [108] | |||
Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | American Fiction | Nominated | [109] |
Barbie | Nominated | ||||
Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | 2024 | Barbie | Best Ensemble Cast | Nominated | [110] |
St. Louis Film Critics Association | 2023 | Barbie | Best Ensemble | Runner-up | [111] |
Streamy Awards | 2018 | Giants | Best Drama Series | Won | [112] |
TCA Awards | 2017 | Insecure | Individual Achievement in Comedy | Nominated | [113] |
2020 | Nominated | [114] | |||
Utah Film Critics Association | 2024 | Barbie | Best Ensemble Cast | Nominated | [115] |
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | 2023 | American Fiction | Best Ensemble | Nominated | [116] |
Barbie | Nominated | ||||
Webby Awards | 2019 | Herself | Video Person of the Year | Won | [117] |
…actor/singer Issa Rae in 1985 (age 35)
Writer and comedian Issa Rae
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