Jo-Issa Rae Diop, known professionally as Issa Rae, was born on January 12, 1985, in Los Angeles, California. She is an American actress, writer, and producer.
Rae rose from self-funded YouTube videos to become an Emmy-nominated HBO showrunner and film star.
Who is Issa Rae?
Issa Rae is an American actress, writer, and producer known for creating and starring in the HBO comedy series Insecure. The show ran from 2016 to 2021 and earned her multiple Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations.
Rae first built an audience with the YouTube series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, which she created, wrote, and starred in from 2011 to 2013.
The series won the Shorty Award for Best Web Show in 2012.
Rae has since become a prominent producer and entrepreneur, founding the media company HOORAE and appearing in major films including The Hate U Give, Barbie, and American Fiction.
In 2026, she signed a three-year first-look deal with Paramount to develop new television and film projects.
Early Life of Issa Rae
Rae was born in Los Angeles, California, to Abdoulaye Diop, a doctor from Senegal, and Delyna Diop, an educator from Louisiana. She has four siblings.
The family lived briefly in Dakar, Senegal, during her childhood.
They later moved to Potomac, Maryland, before eventually settling in Los Angeles. Rae attended King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles.
While in college, she developed an interest in comedic storytelling that would shape her early career.
Issa Rae Age
Issa Rae is 41 years old as of 2026, born on January 12, 1985. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn.
That milestone birthday came during a period of major career growth, including her new production deal with Paramount announced in early 2026.
Issa Rae Ethnicity and Nationality
Rae is American, born and raised in the United States. Her ethnic background is mixed, with a Senegalese father and an African American mother from Louisiana.
She has spoken about how her time living in Senegal as a child shaped her perspective on identity.
Much of her creative work, including Awkward Black Girl and Insecure, draws directly on her experience navigating Black identity across different communities in America.
Issa Rae Height and Weight
Rae’s height has been reported at approximately 5 feet 8 inches, or about 1.73 meters. Her weight is not publicly confirmed.
She has appeared on numerous red carpets over her career, including for the Barbie film and the Met Gala, where her fashion choices have drawn frequent press coverage.
Issa Rae Education
Rae graduated from Stanford University in 2007 with a degree in African and African American Studies. While at Stanford, she wrote, directed, and appeared in student theater productions and created an online series called Dorm Diaries.
At Stanford, she met Tracy Oliver, who later helped produce and starred in Awkward Black Girl.
After graduating, Rae received a theater fellowship at The Public Theater in New York City before enrolling in additional coursework at the New York Film Academy.
Issa Rae Career
Early Career and Awkward Black Girl
Rae created The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl in 2011, funding the first season through donations. She wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the series as J, an awkward office worker navigating everyday racial dynamics.
The series raised more than 50,000 dollars from fan donations to fund its first season.
Its second season streamed in partnership with Pharrell Williams’ YouTube channel. In 2012, the show won the Shorty Award for Best Web Show, Rae’s first major industry recognition.
Rae also created and produced other web series during this period, including Ratchet Piece Theater and Roomieloverfriends, alongside a 2015 memoir also titled The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, which became a New York Times bestseller.
Insecure and HBO Success
HBO hired Rae in 2014 to develop a television series based on her web series work. That project became Insecure, which premiered in 2016 and ran for five seasons through 2021.
Rae co-created, co-wrote, and starred in the series alongside Yvonne Orji.
Insecure received multiple Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy, along with Primetime Emmy nominations. The show also won a Peabody Award and numerous NAACP Image Awards during its run.
Rae also appeared in feature films during this period, including The Hate U Give in 2018, Little in 2019, and The Photograph and The Lovebirds in 2020.
Recent Work
In 2020, Rae founded Raedio, a record label and music publishing company in partnership with Atlantic Records. She later expanded her production efforts under the media company HOORAE, which develops film, television, digital, and music projects.
HOORAE produced the HBO Max series Rap Sh!t in 2022, which Rae created.
Rae appeared as President Barbie in the 2023 film Barbie and also had a role in American Fiction that year. In 2025, she produced and starred in the buddy comedy One of Them Days alongside Keke Palmer and SZA.
In early 2026, Rae signed a three-year first-look deal with Paramount through Skydance, allowing her to develop television and film projects through HOORAE.
That same year, HOORAE partnered with TikTok to launch a short-form scripted series called Screen Time, marking her return to the digital storytelling roots of her career.
Issa Rae Awards and Recognition
Rae has received multiple Primetime Emmy nominations and Golden Globe nominations for her work on Insecure. She has also won a Peabody Award, a Shorty Award, and multiple NAACP Image Awards throughout her career.
She has appeared on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and Glamour’s 35 Under 35 list. Rae was also named to the Time 100 list of the world’s most influential people.
Issa Rae Husband
Issa Rae is married to Louis Diame, a finance professional. The couple began dating years before their engagement, which became public in 2019.
They married in 2021 in a private ceremony in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, in the south of France.
Rae shared photos from the wedding on Instagram, revealing that she wore a custom Vera Wang gown.
Issa Rae Net Worth
Issa Rae’s estimated net worth is $20 million as of 2026, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Her income comes from her acting, writing, and producing work, along with her production company HOORAE and her Paramount first-look deal.
She has also built business ventures including the record label Raedio, launched with Atlantic Records in 2020.
Rae owns a home in Los Angeles, California.
Issa Rae Social Media
Issa Rae is active on Instagram under the handle @issarae, where she shares updates on her acting and production work.
The Bottom Line
Issa Rae created and starred in HBO’s Insecure from 2016 to 2021, turning her self-funded 2011 web series Awkward Black Girl into a career that reshaped how Black women’s stories reached television. The show earned her multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.
Rae grew up between Senegal, Maryland, and Los Angeles, and she has built much of her work around those layered experiences of identity. She studied African and African American Studies at Stanford before turning to filmmaking.
In 2026, Rae signed a three-year first-look deal with Paramount and launched a TikTok microdrama partnership through her company HOORAE. We hope you enjoyed reading about Issa. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!