Issa RaePRODUCER | ACTOR | WRITER

New York Film Academy alumna Issa Rae was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Comedy or Musical for her performance on HBO’s Insecure, a show she writes, produces, and acts in.

Rae’s recent projects include Rap Sh*t, a new HBO comedy series following the story of two estranged high school friends from Miami, Shawna, who reunite to form a rap group. The series was produced by Rae’s entertainment company, HOORAE.

Rae won a Shorty award for The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and, more recently, she executive produced HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, which is the first sketch comedy written by, directed by and starring all black women. The show was nominated in the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards for the ‘Variety Sketch Series’ category, and Rae’s performance earned her a nomination for a ‘Guest Actress in a Comedy.’

A presenter for the 92nd Academy Awards nominees, Rae also stars opposite Lakeith Stanfield in The Photograph, and taps into her comedic roots for The Lovebirds, co-starring Kumail Nanjiani.

Issa Rae is set to star alongside Dan Levy and Bette Midler in the HBO Quarantine Satire Coastal Elites, shot remotely during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

In 2020, Rae was nominated for her second ‘Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series’ Emmy for her performance in the HBO series Insecure and also received an Emmy nod for ‘Outstanding Comedy Series.’

In October 2020, Rae hosted Saturday Night Live during the show’s 46th season. Rae was nominated for five 2021 NAACP Image Awards including Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (Insecure) and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (The Photograph).

In 2022, Rae was named one of TIME magazines 100 most influential people.

SNAPSHOT
Program Studied at NYFA: Filmmaking
Program Type: 4-Week Filmmaking
Year Attended/Graduated: 2005
Location: Los Angeles