Insecure’s Issa Rae on bumpy road to success
The line between Awkward and Insecure has not been a straight one for Issa Rae.
The writer-actor struck a comic nerve in 2011 with The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl, her Web series about the often-embarrassing personal and professional woes of a single African-American woman. Partly based on her life, the series, along with other projects on her YouTube channel, drew more than 25 million views, and she adapted it into a bestselling book.
The L.A. native continues her misadventures with her new series, Insecure, on HBO.
Despite her massive fan base and uniquely quirky viewpoint, Rae’s quest to jump from YouTube to TV has been bumpy.
Producers at various networks had trouble “getting her.” An ABC pilot crashed and burned, even with the support of powerhouse producer Shonda Rhimes (Scandal).
And, until the last few months, shows from the points of views of people of colour, particularly women, were not hot properties.
When she finally signed on with HBO and everything seemed to be falling into place, she lost her creative partner and show runner Larry Wilmore, who left to do a late-night talk show at Comedy Central (which was recently cancelled).
Rae has put those rough times in her rearview mirror. Her dream is coming true with Insecure, revolving around the friendship between two African American women dealing with their sometimes stormy relationship while also grappling with conflicts inside and outside black culture. Rae is the star, co-creator and executive producer, while her onscreen character — also named Issa — is once again uncomfortable and awkward, though more grounded than her Web persona.
“This is me,” Rae said of Insecure recently from her office in downtown Inglewood. “I identify as an awkward introvert. I have passive-aggressive tendencies. This show is more like me, more rooted in my personal experiences. In music terms, Awkward Black Girl is the mixtape and Insecure is the album.”
The realization of Insecure has made the memories of its evolution less painful for Rae.
“This has been a journey of ups and downs,” Rae said. “It’s been a test of my voice and my perseverance. Now, this is happening, and you forget all the years and the frustrations, everything that led up to this. You just say, ‘My gosh, this is finally happening,’ and now all I feel is anxiety, wanting people to see it.”
Insecure is debuting at a time when several shows from and about African Americans are landing in prime time. FX’s Atlanta from actor-comedian-rapper Donald Glover, MTV’s Loosely Exactly Nicole from comedian Nicole Byer and Netflix’s Luke Cage have all premièred in the last month, receiving mostly positive responses from critics.
But Rae’s series has a clear distinction from the others: It is one of only two prime-time comedies in TV history created by and starring an African American woman. (The other was Fox’s short-lived Wanda at Large in 2003.)
Having that kind of historical significance is a bit of a doubleedged sword for Rae. While she is grateful for the simultaneous presence of so many fresh voices, she is aware that her series may also come under more scrutiny.
“I do feel a light annoyance that some people will project all of black women’s experiences and woes on this show, and that’s not what I set out to do,” said Rae. “People may think I have to be the definitive voice. I just wanted to share a very specific experience and hope that people see themselves in these characters.”