Not Insecure! Actress and producer Issa Rae confidently told Us about her life at the Samsung’s Unpacked launch event on August 9, where the company revealed the all-new Samsung Galaxy Note9. Read on to learn 25 things about the star.
1. My biggest splurge was a Tesla — that I got into an accident with a month later and was car-less for a year.
2. My favorite book is Waiting by Ha Jin. It just really made me look at relationships in a new way from a culture that I never experienced before.
3. I love to hang out at home with friends, surrounded by a bottle of bubbly, and binge watch trash television.
4. My family calls me by my full name, Jo-Issa. They’re like, “Everybody’s gonna know your government name that we named you.”
5. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It’s the one time we just get to sit, talk s—t and have memories.
6. I would cast Marsai Martin to play me in a movie about my life. She’s phenomenal.
7. I realized I was famous this past summer walking around in Atlanta. I was like, “Wow, people really watch this show and people really know me even if I’m wearing a baseball cap.” It’s a lot.
8. I talk to my best friends Megan Lawson and Devin Walker most. We usually stay on the phone for an hour or two. I love them.
9. It’s so easy to get comfortable in the stories that we’re telling on Insecure, and we really wanted to challenge ourselves for season 3.
10. My best birthday present was probably a surprise dinner with all my loved ones when I wasn’t expecting it.
11. The most influential people in my life are my mom [Delyna Diop] and my friends. I seek their approval most.
12. I’m always running on time. I don’t like being late.
13. The first concert that I enjoyed the s—t out of was definitely Beyoncé. It was the Dangerously in Love tour. I was only a moderate fan prior to that; now I’m a fan for life.
14. My perfect Sunday is in bed for six hours, minimum.
15. My worst personality trait is that I can be selfish.
16. The greatest piece of advice that I was given was: Don’t be afraid to be a bitch.
17. My favorite fast-food chain is Taco Bell. I just love their hard-shell tacos and double-decker tacos.
18. A misconception about me is that I’m everyone’s best friend and I can be the life of the party. I’m so boring!
19. The hardest lesson that I had to learn was that sometimes people just aren’t who they say they are, and that can be devastating.
20. My personal mantra is, “It could always be worse.”
21. The place that I escape to when I need to find peace and balance is Malibu. I love it.
22. Before I go to sleep, I put on my ocean sounds playlist on Spotify like I’m a toddler.
23. Last month, I auditioned for a major franchise movie. Soon as I got there, I choked, forgot my lines and was shaking. I was furious with myself. My nerves got in the way.
24. The song that I’ll blast in the car with no shame is Lil Scrappy’s “No Problem.”
25. At 50, I hope I’m retired and only participating in things I want to participate in.
Insecure airs on HBO, Sundays at 10:30 p.m. ET.
