Issa Rae is just starting to feel the side effects of having a hit show.
The creator, writer and star of HBO’s “Insecure” is getting more and more opportunities – and she’s also getting recognized on the streets of her suburban Los Angeles neighborhood.
“The true test for me was Inglewood. I live in Inglewood, and I walk in Inglewood all the time. I do a morning walk, and nobody recognized me,” Rae said Sunday as she arrived at the MTV Movie & TV Awards. “Then just a couple weeks ago, I did my routine walk and I had three cars turn around and stop… One almost tried to follow me home. So I was like, oh, I can’t do this anymore in my own neighborhood.”
The 32-year-old star is seizing the opportunities that have come with such success, though, with at least two film projects in the works: one as writer, another as actress.
“I’m taking it all in stride,” Rae said. “The show, ‘Insecure,’ occupies like eight or nine months out of the year. But I’m happy to be in this position. It’s a good problem to have.”
Rae plays a fictionalized version of herself on the show, a comedy about a young professional woman named Issa navigating her life.
As for “Insecure’s” second season, which starts July 23, Rae says it picks up right where the first season left off: with Issa’s relationship in shambles.
“We’re exploring the question: what does it mean to be doing what you’re supposed to be doing,” she said. “You’re supposed to break up; you’re supposed to be growing up with your friends; you’re supposed to be moving on. So in your 30s, what does it look like when you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing?”
