Issa Rae is officially the new face of HBO. With a new eight-figure deal locked in, Rae is set to produce new shows for the premium network and their streaming platform, HBO Max, for years to come. Before she can move forward with her next chapter at HBO, she must close the previous chapter she enjoyed with the network.
In 2016, Rae gave hope to millions of content creators when she took her Awkward Black Girl series from YouTube and used it to launch Insecure on HBO. Over the course of five years, she has become a household name and introduced the world to characters like Lawrence, Molly and Daniel. Not to mention, the show has catapulted the careers of Jay Ellis, Yvonne Orji and Natasha Rothwell, who also locked in a deal with HBO. After wrapping up the show's fourth season, Rae shared some bittersweet news with her fans. Insecure will come to a close after its upcoming fifth season.
During a recent interview, Rae opened up about her decision to end the show after the upcoming season.
"I'm definitely ready to let it go," Rae said.
"I knew that I wanted to end it after five seasons. And I feel like I'm really proud of this season that we're shooting now. It's so much fun, and it's made me appreciate the show in a different way."
Through the process of making and mastering this series, the Los Angeles native says that she has learned to accept herself for who she is and connect with others like her. As she puts it, she's awkward and this show allows her to represent others who feel the same way about themselves.
"I think part of my journey has been acceptance," she explained.
"Yes, I'm this socially uncomfortable, awkward person. And I'm gonna just put it in my work and it's really comforting to know that there are so many other people out here like that."
She will have one more season to showcase herself through the show. The fifth and final season is being filmed and will debut in the coming months.
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