Issa Rae Honored At The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Gala

Issa Rae, African American actress, writer, producer, and comedian received the Equity in Entertainment Award at the Women in Entertainment gala event hosted by The Hollywood Reporter (THR) on December 7, 2022, at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Yvonne Orji, Rae's co-star on Insecure, presented her with the award.  The Equity in Entertainment Award recognizes individuals who amplify the voices of underrepresented communities in the entertainment industry.

Rae began her speech by telling a story about a trip she took to Las Vegas with friends to see an Usher concert. Rae consumed a can of cannabis juice there, sending her into a paranoid loop. Rae said this loop was terrifying because she kept thinking about everything that scared her. She admitted that her sense of mortality and the mortality of people she loves were among those whirling thoughts. This is especially true regarding her fear of aging. This fear, she explained, proved to be a motivating factor for her to create inclusive content reflecting diverse voices.

When contemplating her reason for giving opportunities and opening doors for others, Rae relates back to her fixation on time. She explains how obsessed she is with the time she has left, believing it to be a small window to make the changes she wants to see. For Rae, operating from a scared position was helpful because it made her impatient and fearless about what she would shy away from like rejection, embarrassment, or diminishment.

Issa Rae concludes her speech by thanking THR for the honor and for “rewarding my paranoia.” Rae promises to keep moving forward in life, thanks her team, and pays tribute to Yakira Chambers, an African American actress, writer, and producer friend who died last week.

Following Rae’s longtime series Insecure conclusion last year, her future projects include the HBO Max comedy Rap Sh!t, developing a revival of the docuseries Project Greenlight, and being cast both in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and in Sony’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The gala occurred alongside the publication of THR’s “Women in Entertainment Power 100” list.