Issa Rae has already taken Hollywood by surprise with her hit HBO series, Insecure, but she’s looking to shake the game up even more. During the Insecure Fest in Los Angeles on July 22 , the actress and show-runner spoke about her interests in altering the way that specifically dark-skinned actresses are portrayed in television and film.
During the panel discussion, Rae spoke about colorism within the black community and how she is trying to give a platform to other women of the darker complexion. “Dark-skinned women still portray a certain archetype and I want to change that,” she said. “They’re either super strong, emotionless, robotic — or hyper-sexual, and you don’t get the in-between very much.”
Yvonne Orji, who plays Issa’s best friend Molly and is also a dark-skinned woman, chimed in about representing for women on the series. “I want the portrayal of dark-skinned women to evolve in such a way that you see us as multi-faceted,” Orji added. “We are more than just the sassy friend or the maid. We’re so dynamic. We can be the leads.”
Season three of Insecure will continue to address tough issues within the black community. In a previous interview in June 2018, Rae also noted that the upcoming season would explore black masculinity. “I love black masculinity as it relates to black women,” she said at the time
Insecure season three returns to HBO on Aug. 12.