Issa Rae on ‘Insecure’ ending: ‘I want to be able to grow’
The series creator opened up to PEOPLE about the final season of her hit show
While the announcement that Insecure is coming to an end was a shock to fans, Issa Rae has been wrapping her head around the idea for some time now. In a recent interview, Rae opened up about the fifth and final season of Insecure.
As theGrio reported earlier this year, the fifth season of Insecure will be its last, ending its award-winning run on HBO. Fresh off her win at the NAACP Image Awards last week, Rae opened up about the end of her hit series to PEOPLE, revealing that since season 3 of the series, she has been “wrapping her head around” the ending.
Read More: Issa Rae says NAACP Image Award win ‘the only validation that matters’
Rae told the magazine, “I’ve been wrapping my head around this since candidly, season 3. But I’m so grateful to be able to play this character, who is obviously a version of me, and in the same way that I want this character to grow, I want to be able to grow too.”
Insecure first premiered in October 2016, and since then, has received critical acclaim and multiple Emmy nominations. She continued, saying, “So I think that’s what comes with it — I’ve played her for a long time, and I have so much more that I want to do.”
Read More: Issa Rae signs $40 million film, TV deal with WarnerMedia
As shooting for the fifth and final season comes to a close, Rae revealed to PEOPLE that she’s trying to remain present in this last go at filming the series. She explained, “But being on set everyday, I’m definitely taking it all in on a different level now, just in terms of, ‘Wow, I love this family. This is my family,’ and we’ve done so much and these people are incredible, and I feel so blessed to work with them.” She added, “I know I’ll look back on this time very, very fondly, as I do now.”
In January of 2021, Rae took to twitter to comment on the announcement that Insecure will be ending with the upcoming season. She wrote in her tweet at the time, “Very excited to film our fifth and final season! We couldn’t have told a complete story without the tremendous support of our audience and the faith of @HBO. See y’all soon! #InsecureHBO.”
Read More: Issa Rae’s audio company Raedio signs deal with ViacomCBS
Rae took home Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for Insecure at the NAACP Image Awards last weekend. In her speech, she graciously accepted the award from her peers, saying, “It means the world to me. It’s the only validation that matters, Black people’s validation. I appreciate NAACP for honoring us.”
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