Issa Rae Biography
Jo-Issa Rae Diop, born January 12, 1985, better known as Issa Rae, is a well-known American actress, director, producer, and writer. She is best known for creating the web series ‘The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl’ in 2011. She also wrote a book with the same title, which became the year’s best-seller.
Wiki Profile
| Real Name: | Jo-Issa Rae Diop |
| Occupation: | Actress, Producer, Director and Writer |
| Date Of Birth/Age: | January 12, 1985 |
| Place of Birth: | California, Los Angeles |
| Nationality: | Senagalese/American |
| Husband/Spouse: | Louis Diame |
| Net Worth: | $4 million |
Early Life,
and Education
Jo-Issa Rae Diop was born on January 12, 1985 in the California city of Los Angeles. Her father, Abdoulaye Diop, is a Senegalese pediatrician and neonatologist, and her mother, Delyna Diop, is a Louisiana teacher.
Her parents met while they were both in school in France. She has four brothers and sisters. Her father is a doctor in Inglewood, California.
During her childhood, the family spent some time in Dakar, Senegal. She grew up in Potomac, Maryland, with “things that aren’t considered ‘black,’ like the swim team and street hockey and Passover dinners with Jewish best friends.”
Diop’s family relocated to Los Angeles’ affluent View Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood when she was in sixth grade, where she attended a predominantly black middle school.
Diop attended King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science, where she began her acting career. When she was in high school, her parents divorced. Diop speaks French fluently.
Diop earned a Bachelor of Arts in African and African-American Studies from Stanford University in 2007. She made music videos, wrote and directed plays, and created a spoof reality show called Dorm Diaries as a college student for fun.
Diop met Tracy Oliver at Stanford, who helped produce Awkward Black Girl and played Nina on the show.
Diop received a theater fellowship at The Public Theater in New York City. Oliver and Diop began taking classes at the New York Film Academy together.
Diop worked odd jobs and struggled to decide between business school and law school before abandoning both when Awkward Black Girl began to take off in 2011.
Career
In 2011, Issa had the idea for a comedy web series, which became ‘The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.’ Issa took on multiple roles for the comedy series, including writer, director, producer, and actor.
She portrayed J, a call center employee who struggles to fit in with her office group. J’s character was created by Issa based on her childhood experiences, as J faces hatred and discrimination from her colleagues.
J, like Issa in high school, uses her rapping skills to make friends in her office.
The show first aired on Issa’s YouTube channel, which she started in 2011. The second season was also made available on YouTube.
The show’s second season received high praise from critics for its witty content and outstanding performances. At the 2012 Shorty Awards, the show was named Best Web Show.
Issa made good use of the social media platform to reach out to her target audience with various literary and film works.
She also uses her YouTube channel to encourage aspiring writers and filmmakers from underrepresented groups in society.
Issa went on to create additional web series based on similar content that is typically considered taboo in mainstream commercial media. Among the web series she created are ‘Ratchet Piece Theater,’ ‘Roomieloverfriends,’ and ‘The “F” Word.’
Issa was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2012 and again in 2014. Forbes magazine publishes an annual list honoring the 30 most influential celebrities in various industries.
She was also named to ‘Glamour Magazine’s 35 Under 35’ list.
Issa suffered a setback in 2013 when ABC rejected her pilot series ‘I Hate LA Dudes,’ which she co-wrote with renowned screenwriter Shonda Rhimes.
Issa released her next web series, ‘The Choir,’ on the YouTube channel ‘Alright TV’ around the same time.
Issa worked as a co-executive producer and co-producer on eleven episodes of the romantic television series ‘The First’ from 2014 to 2015.
She was featured on the cover of ‘Essence,’ an African-American specialized magazine, in 2015. She shared the page with celebrities such as Shonda Rhimes, Ava DuVernay, Debbie Allen, and Mara Brock Akil.
The book version of her first web series was released the same year.
She expressed her desire to work with the famous screenwriter and stand-up comedian Larry Willmore during one of her meetings.
They both created a television show called ‘Insecure’ in 2013. The plot of ‘The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl’ inspired the series.
Issa played the protagonist once more, who finds herself in situations where she is mistreated by her coworkers simply because she is black.
The first episode of the show aired on October 9, 2016, and the second season premiered in July 2017. Issa received a nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the 2017 Golden Globe Awards.
Issa starred in ‘The Hate U Give,’ released in 2018.
Google announced Rae as an additional voice to the Google Assistant on October 11, 2019. By saying “Ok Google, talk like Issa,” users could make Google Assistant speak in Rae’s voice.
Issa’s Voice could be heard until Friday, October 1, 2021.
Rae also collaborated with Atlantic Records in 2019 to produce “Kinda Love” by singer-rapper TeaMarrr through her newly launched record label “Raedio.”
Rae’s production company, Hoorae, signed a five-year film and television deal with WarnerMedia in March 2021. This agreement included the production of Sweet Life: Los Angeles, a reality television show created by Rae, in 2021.
Personal Life
Rae’s given name, Jo-Issa, is a combination of her grandmothers’ names, Joyce and Isseu. Her middle name, Rae, is named after an artist aunt.
Rae married her longtime partner, Senegalese businessman Louis Diame, in a private ceremony in France in July 2021. Rae started wearing her engagement ring on the cover of Essence magazine in April 2019.
Issa Rae Net Worth
Isssa Rae has been involved in so many movies and she has garnered a net worth of US$4 million.
Social Media
- Instagram: @issarae
- Twitter: @IssaRae
