Issa Rae Speaks On Career Journey & Doing More Behind The Camera Work Post-‘Insecure’: There Was Pressure, But Being Behind The Scenes Is So Much More Fun

Issa Rae Speaks On Career Journey & Doing More Behind The Camera Work Post-‘Insecure’: There Was Pressure, But Being Behind The Scenes Is So Much More Fun

Issa Rae never stops working, but at least she’s doing what she loves!

The actress has had time to unwind since Insecure‘s final episode aired on Dec. 26, 2021. During a recent interview, Issa Rae opened up about what she did before moving on to her next project. She shared,

“I took time to decompress. Literally right after the episode ended, I just jumped on a plane and took all of January off. This year, despite having Rap Sh!t out, I wasn’t in it, so it’s probably been the most relaxing — relaxing for my standards — year I’ve had in, like, 10 years.”

The Jill of All Trades transitioned from acting in her own show to writing and creating Rap Sh!t, which, like Insecure, is broadcast on HBO Max. While some people may have found it challenging to move from being in front of the camera to behind it, but Issa Rae loved every aspect of it.

She said,

“It’s the best, just sitting on my a*s and watching people be great while eating all day. I was like, ‘Oh, OK, writers have the best job ever.’ But there was the stress of making sure that the follow-up to Insecure would be something that people liked and that they didn’t compare too hard to Insecure. So there was pressure, but being behind the scenes is so much more fun, and it’s really rewarding.”

According to its official HBO Max description, Insecure, which ran for five seasons,

A season 2 scene from ‘Insecure’

Issa Rae expressed her pride in her Insecure cast members, who have since become like family, when asked how it has been to see them land such high-profile projects, such as the now-married Jay Ellis in Top Gun: Maverick, Yvonne Orji landing an HBO comedy special, and Natasha Rothwell starring in and co-showrunning Hulu‘s How to Die Alone. She said,

“It really does feel like ‘Oh, we’re really out here winning.’ We were just texting each other. It’s so hard to connect, Jay’s shooting in Oakland, Yvonne’s traveling, Natasha has her show going — I have to find the text to get her quote correct. She said, ‘Issa, you never told us running a show was like putting your face in a blender and loving it.’ Leading her own show, her starring vehicle, like that is the dopest thing in the world to me. I’m just really proud to see what everybody else is gravitating toward and to see them killing it.”

As previously reported, Rap Sh!t chronicles the reunion of two Miami-based high school friends Shawna (played by Aida Osman) and Mia (played by actress/rapper KaMillion) as they reunite to start a rap group.

Executive producers include Montrel McKay for HOORAE, Deniese Davis, Jonathan Berry, Dave Becky from 3 Arts Entertainment, Issa, and showrunner Syreeta Singleton.

Co-executive producers include Sara Rastogi for HOORAE, Kevin “Coach K” Lee, and Pierre “Pee” Thomas for Quality Control Films, and the Hip-Hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls.

What are your thoughts on what Issa Rae shared? Let us know in the comments!

[VIA]