JoIssa Rae Diop (born January 12, 1985), known professionally as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, and producer. She achieved recognition as the co-creator, co-writer, and star of the HBO comedy series Insecure (2016–2021), for which she was nominated for multiple Golden Globes Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards. Rae first garnered attention for her work on the YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl (2011–2013). Her 2015 memoir,  The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, became a New York T...