Issa Rae feels there aren’t a lot of “smart (Hollywood) executives anymore” – The Hollywood Reporter
Issa Ray
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Issa Rae is getting candid about her thoughts on the current state of the entertainment industry.
In the cover story for time Writing in an online magazine on Thursday, the actress, writer and producer blamed Hollywood executives for backing away from their promises to increase representation and diversity.
“I’ve never seen Hollywood so fearful, so ignorant, so at the mercy of Wall Street,” Ray said, before later adding: “I’m sorry, but there aren’t a lot of smart CEOs anymore. A lot of them are getting old and they’re clinging to their positions and they don’t think so.” “Entering the blood of young people.”
the Unsafe The star feels that executives are too involved in the creative choices surrounding projects.
“Now these conglomerate leaders are also making decisions about Hollywood. You are not creative. Stick with the money,” she said. “People who take chances are on platforms like TikTok: that’s what gets the attention of young people. So you’re killing your own industry.”
the Barbie The star’s comments came just weeks after her show Rap sh!t Max was canceled after its second season. It also comes down to a difficult hell of 2023 for Rae, which she described as “not fun at all.”
Although Ray had a lot of success on screen last year with Oscar-nominated films Barbie And American fantasyreality tv show, The Sweet Life: Los AngelesThe one she produced was also cancelled. To top it all off, Rae also told the magazine that she had to lay off eight employees during the writers’ and actors’ strike over the summer.
at this point, View drawing of the black lady The actress and producer feels Hollywood executives only want to play it safe with “universal” stories, which she said only hurts diversity initiatives.
“There’s a bitterness like, ‘Who suffers from you guys withdrawing?'” Ray added. People of color always do. Her claim is also supported by the University of California’s Diversity Report, which found that racial and gender diversity in theatrical films in 2022 declined to year-over-year levels. 2019 after a three-year upward trend.
Although Rae is currently under a comprehensive five-year contract with what was known as WarnerMedia when she signed in 2021, an extension of a relationship with HBO that began in 2016, that hasn’t stopped her from considering other opportunities.
Ray said time She feels “secure” in her relationship with HBO right now, but she said so porter Earlier this week, the recent cancellations of her show led to her searching for alternative avenues for her as a future creator.
“You’re seeing a lot of Black shows getting cancelled, you’re seeing a lot of executives being fired — especially on the DEI side. You’re seeing very clearly now that our stories are becoming less of a priority,” Ray said at the time. “It made me take more steps to try to “I will be independent in the future if I have to.”
