Great Movies
Bestselling author and YouTube sensation Issa Rae will be presenting the Chicago premiere of her upcoming HBO comedy series, "Insecure," on Tuesday, September 27th, as part of the Gene Siskel Film Center's Black Harvest Film Festival. The invitation-only screening will be followed with a discussion with Rae moderated by RogerEbert.com publisher Chaz Ebert.
"Insecure," which will make its television debut Sunday, October 9th, on HBO, aims to portray the black female experience in a way that is authentic, insightful and wholly relatable. Rae co-created the Los Angeles-set series with Larry Wilmore and stars opposite Yvonne Orji as best friends struggling to improve their lives. Acclaimed Steppenwolf alum Lisa Joyce (Red Light Winter) portrays Rae's white friend and co-worker, while Jay Ellis (of CBS's "The Game") plays Rae's complacent boyfriend.
"Issa Rae is admired by me, my daughter and my granddaughter," Ebert said. "It's telling that three generations of capable women appreciate and relate to her wit, intelligence, humor and willingness to expose her vulnerabilities. She creates a very specific world that is as creative and funny as the world Larry David created in 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' except it is primarily peopled with African-Americans. I look forward to exploring this with her."
Rae's online series, "The Misadventures of the Awkward Black Girl," earned the Shorty Award for Best Web Show, while her book of the same name became a New York Times bestseller upon its release last year. After making the Forbes 30 Under 30 list twice, while collaborating on web content with fellow artists such as Pharrell Williams and Tracey Edmonds, Rae is quickly gaining prominence as a leading voice in the entertainment industry.
The inaugural eight-episode season of "Insecure" debuts at 9:30pm CT/10:30pm ET on Sunday, October 9th, on HBO. The series will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals. For more information on Issa Rae, visit her official site.
