Issa Rae on 'Insecure's 'Mostly Sweet' Ending and Chances for a Spinoff (Exclusive)
Issa Rae is saying there's a chance! Insecure's upcoming fifth season will be its last -- but that doesn't mean we'll never see our favorite characters again.
In an interview with ET's Nischelle Turner to discuss her latest partnership with LIFEWTR, Rae teased the "chance" of an Insecure spinoff.
"There's a chance for everything," she said.
There's certainly more story to tell after that bombshell season 4 finale. After Issa (Rae) rekindled her romance with Lawrence (Jay Ellis) and put Nathan (Kendrick Sampson) in the friend zone, it was revealed that Condola (Christina Elmore) was pregnant with Lawrence's baby -- and she's planning to keep it.
Rae previously confirmed there will be more than eight episodes in season 5, which is currently filming.
"It's a struggle. It was and still is a struggle," Rae confessed of filming amid the coronavirus pandemic. "I feel so thankful that we're able to work and we're actually able to shoot this season because we had a lot of false starts. We were supposed to be shooting way back in September and that just didn't happen. And obviously in L.A. as you know, we've been the epicenter and so even just coming out of that was a challenge."
"But when people ask if shooting the season is bittersweet, I say it's mostly sweet and the only bitter part is the fact that COVID is in place because it just doesn't allow us to fully immerse ourselves in the experience and each other and you know, properly saying goodbye," she explained. "And it sucks to go out like that during this, but things feel a little more optimistic. You know, I'm almost fully vaccinated, I'm hyped!"
Rae wouldn't share any details of what's in store, but did say she's "satisfied' with how things will wrap up for the show. "I'm currently satisfied so I hope that other people will be," she expressed. "We will not be able to please everybody, but I'm happy."
"I never want to overstay my welcome," she said, listing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Six Feet Under as shows that left fans wanting more -- in a good way. "There were good endings and they left me satisfied and you know, I wanted more of them and I missed them, but I was just like, 'Oh, I'm glad it went out like that.'"
"There's pressure before ending the show, but I just, I love what we've been able to do and I love the stories that we're telling, I love the cast so much," Rae shared. "And to be able to go out in what I hope is a strong way, it feels good."
And at the very least, Insecure will still "be there for re-watch," she assured.
In the meantime, Rae has plenty of other projects on her plate. Ten years after the debut of her web series, The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl, which inspired Insecure, Rae has signed a five-year overall deal with WarnerMedia.
"I have my own ideas, but we're really excited about working with other creators, collaborating with other people, being fans of their work and seeing what they have cooking up," she told ET. "I'm over the moon right now with the potential."
The multi-hyphenate already has a few shows in the edit process -- she landed an eight-episode order for her new comedy, Rap Sh*t in February -- and has plans for many more. "It feels so good to be able to have the trust of Warner and HBO, the HBO family, and their properties, to give us free rein like that," she gushed. "It's cool."
And fans shouldn't rule out a future collaboration between Rae and one of her Insecure co-stars. "I always give back and give forward," she said, referencing Ryan Murphy and Adam Sandler's work with the same performers. "I just think that's so cool and so fun, to be able to travel with people who you know can deliver certain things, or can surprise you in other areas... so, I'd definitely want to consider it."
Rae's partnership with LIFEWTR also fits with her mission to shine a light on other artists. Twenty diverse, up-and-coming creatives across film, fashion, music and more have been commissioned to create new art to be featured on the "Life Unseen" platform, national advertising and the LIFEWTR bottle. Together with LIFEWTR, Issa is calling upon the next generation of creatives to enter for their own chance to receive exposure, mentorship by Issa and $10,000 to help fund their next creative endeavor.
"It really just comes down to making sure that it's more than a seat at the table," Rae said. "It's listening, it's making sure that you have a permanent spot and it's also about encouraging these artists to also ultimately pay it forward."
"It just really is completely speaking my language and my mission and I'm so excited to discover so many people that I admire and hope to work with in the future," she added.
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