Here’s Why Issa Rae Says Barbie Will Be More Meaningful Than You Think
For Issa Rae, stepping into the (pink) shoes of President Barbie was—well, fantastic.
In fact, the 38-year-old was ready to live a life in plastic as soon as she caught wind of all the details behind the highly-anticipated movie.
"For Barbie, it was the director Greta Gerwig and the cast, seeing who was involved," Issa exclusively told E! News. "I'm such a fan of Margot Robbie. I love Ryan Gosling. And I was just curious to hear Greta's vision."
And after reading the script, she was more than ready to step into the world of make believe.
"I get to play a Barbie," the Insecure alum shared. "I would've never imagined that for myself."
Another factor that stuck with her long after filming wrapped? As Issa noted, the movie—which, in addition to Robbie and Gosling co-stars Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Simu Liu and more—was "literally the best set I've ever been on."
And she aimed a lot of that praise towards Greta, who also co-wrote the film alongside real-life partner Noah Baumbach.
"It was so safe, it was openminded, it was just fun," the Vengeance star continued. "She facilitates such a nurturing environment, and no idea is bad or stupid or a waste of time. She's so secure in her own vision, it allows her to open up to everyone else's thoughts without feeling like they're infringing on her own or threatening her own."
Not to mention, tapping into her younger self for Issa's character helped her to be "less self-serious."
"There's just such a playful nature to this film and to obviously even being a Barbie, people are literally playing with you," she explained. "So, to imagine myself as being controlled by a child while being President made things just a lot more fun and nimbler and flexible and ridiculous in a way that I love."
But don't be surprised if the film—set to debut in July—is beyond your wildest imagination.
"There's something interesting about being able to take what Hollywood gives you and produce something like beautiful and meaningful," Issa noted. "And I think that this film has accomplished that."
But being in Barbie isn't the only dream that the multi-hyphenate has accomplished, which is why Issa's partnership with Shipt makes all the more sense to help alleviate a jam-packed schedule.
"I mean, I barely sometimes have time to get up from my desk and I don't get to even schedule some of the needs that I have," the Rap Sh!t creator shared. "Sometimes you just remember things in the moment and you're like, ‘Ugh, God, how am I gonna get there? How am I gonna be able to manage to get this on time?' And there are just so many moments where I can just get on the Shipt app and order what I need to…It's just a huge time saver."
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