Issa Rae Bravely Calls Out This Sector of Hollywood for 'Killing' the Entertainment Industry

Issa Rae is one of Hollywood’s most successful artists right now, but she’s not always getting treated with the respect she deserves. The 39-year-old actress is calling out Hollywood studio executives and they may not like what she has to say — even though she’s right.

Rae has had huge triumphs in the entertainment industry, including her five-season run of Insecure and a four-season run of A Black Lady Sketch Show. Together, the two HBO series generated nine Emmy nominations for her, and we can’t forget her scene-stealing turns in Barbie and American Fiction. With success comes setbacks, though, as she watched Hollywood take back its promise to promote creators of color. She told TIME, “I’ve never seen Hollywood this scared and clueless and at the mercy of Wall Street. There is a bitterness of just like, who suffers from you guys pulling back? People of color always do.”

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With fewer opportunities out there, Rae is doing her best to cultivate the next generation of creators, but she needs the help of studio leaders, who sometimes don’t seem too willing to assist her. “I’m sorry, but there aren’t a lot of smart executives anymore,” she boldly stated. “And a lot of them have aged out and are holding on to their positions and refusing to let young blood get in.” Rae believes there are too many people sitting on the corporate side who want to make creative decisions but may not be qualified to do so.

“Now these conglomerate leaders are also making the decisions about Hollywood. Y’all aren’t creative people. Stick to the money,” Rae added. “The people that are taking chances are on platforms like TikTok: that’s what’s getting the eyeballs of the youth. So you’re killing your own industry.” While the criticism may sting some executives, HBO is standing beside her and their creative relationship.

But Rae’s voice should be heard because as successful as she is, there are still roadblocks being placed in front of her. If it’s hard for someone with nine Emmy nominations, can you imagine how difficult it is for the unknown content creator? Rae is trying to change that narrative as quickly as possible.

Before you go, click here to see the most iconic roles played by Black women in movies & TV.

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