The writer-actress opens up about both her personal and professional life.
Issa Rae’s mother, Delyna Diop, is the reason why the usually reserved entertainer took to social media earlier this year to shut down pregnancy speculation. In since-deleted tweets, the 37-year-old actress-writer halted the internet’s chatter that she and her husband, Louis Diame, were expecting a child, after her mom wondered if she was keeping it a secret from her.
“My sister sent me a screenshot of my mom texting her an article like, ‘Did she tell you ... Are the rumors true?,’” the star and creator of Insecure tells Today in its first-ever digital cover. “I was like, ‘What?!’ (My sister) was like, ‘Not Mom believing in gossip!’ I was like, ‘But she texted you and she didn't even ask me!’ I'm like, ‘Mom, a pregnancy … you really think that I would hide a grandchild from you? That you’ve been begging for?!’ So I had to say something, because it was getting out of hand.”
As for if the world will get a baby reveal if Rae and her husband chose to expand their family, she says she isn’t sure. “Maybe if I have a child, I'll feel like, ‘Everybody needs to see this thing!’” she says. “I don’t know.”
One thing the Rap Sh!t creator is sure about is taking time off. Rae admits that last year, while riding the wave of success, she jumped into a host of projects that didn’t allow enough time for her to decompress, causing her to burn out.
“Last year taught me that the balance needs to be planned in advance for me, because, otherwise, I would just work, work, work, work, work,” she explains. “Even after Insecure, like a dummy, I did an episode of Roar. Then I flew to France, and I was like, ‘Why did I need to do that? I could have taken that two weeks in between to chill and prepare and do all these things?’ But I chose to do this episode. It was a great experience … but I know myself. I know how frustrated and/or tired I can get in some cases, and I’m not doing my best when I’m like that.”
Rae finally took two weeks off following the end of Insecure, giving her the time to recharge and find balance.
“After the finale aired, I got on a plane,” she says about her break. “I did all the stuff that I didn't get a chance to do, like a honeymoon. I took all of January off and traveled and finally got a chance to just chill and think.”
Rae is now back to work on a series of projects, including a role in Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated Barbie movie, which is another thing she is keeping mum about.
“I was like, ‘This sounds crazy, but OK. Let me just read the script,'” she says about the film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. "When you read the script, you're like, ‘Oh, I get it!’ It’s very funny, and it’s just very specific to her…working with her was absolutely amazing.”
For more with Rae, check out the links below.
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