Issa Rae: For A Long Time, There Weren’t Black Female Friendships on TV

Issa Rae

Issa Rae Talks Inspiration for ‘Insecure’

Issa Rae’s new HBO hit show (Insecure) was inspired by what she wanted to wanted to see on TV. The 32-year-old explains,

I knew that I wanted to have a show set in L.A, I knew that I wanted to highlight specific parts of L.A. that I hadn’t seen demonstrated in the most positive light in the last couple of years. And I wanted to make South L.A. sexy!

She admits that she felt black female friendship was missing.

I think for such a long time, I just was not seeing great black female friendships on television. It was constantly about tearing one another down or throwing shade. There are elements of that, but for the most part, black women are essential to my life.

Issa Rae (center), along with the show’s co-stars Lisa Joyce, Natasha Rothwell, Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, showrunner Prentice Penny, and executive producer Melina Matsoukas.

So what can fans expect second season of ‘Insecure’?

I think with Season 2, we’re picking up where we left off, and we’re exploring just what it looks like when everyone’s doing what they’re supposed to be doing. When you’re single, what are you supposed to be doing? When someone tells you you need therapy, what are you supposed to be doing? Without giving too much away, I always tell people to imagine, if your friends had been in the scenarios at the end of Season 1, what would they do, or what would you do? That’s probably how Season 2 will play out.

Insecure returns Sunday, July 23rd.

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