Interesting Facts About Issa Rae
(UPDATED on ) –
1. Where is Issa Rae from?
Issa Rae was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father is from Senegal and her mother is from Louisiana. [2] Growing up, her family moved around a lot. They lived in Potomac (Maryland), Los Angeles, and Senegal.
Issa’s real name is Jo-Issa Rae Diop. Jo-Issa is the combination of Joyce and Isseu, her grandmothers’ names. Her middle name is a reference to one of her aunts. [1] The idea to use Issa Rae as her nickname was inspired by one of her college friends. [3]
Issa has 4 siblings: 3 brothers and 1 sister. In 2021, she married Louis Diame, a Senegalese businessman[7]. Her father, Abdoulaye Diop, is a physician. He studied medicine in France, where he met Issa’s mother Delyna. She is a former French teacher. In 2016, Delyna appeared on one episode of Insecure (Season 1, episode 7).
2. How did Issa Rae get her start?
Issa Rae is the first black woman to create and star in a scripted series for HBO. [4] Insecure, the TV series she created with Larry Wilmore, premiered in 2016. Issa Rae got her start on YouTube.
Her first sitcom, The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl, was launched in 2011. Issa created the series because as a black woman, she didn’t identify with and relate to the characters she saw on TV at the time. [5] Initially, her idea was to make a cartoon series for Awkward Black Girl. [6] The web series had an enormous success and helped launch her career.
3. Influences
Issa Rae’s high school drama teacher introduced her to several Black and Latino playwrights and authors. Issa Rae’s influences include shows like Seinfeld, Curb your Enthusiasm and 30 Rock. She likes their quirky humor about people’s behavior.[6]
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