Issa Rae tells ambitious women to worry less about coming across as ‘mean’

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Issa Rae has opened up about the best piece of advice that she has received and has never forgotten.

In a new interview withInStyle, the actor, who starred as President Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s hit film Barbie, said: “One piece of advice I’ve never forgotten from another woman is to not be afraid to be a b****.”

The actor, who rose to fame after playing Issa Dee in HBO’sInsecure, shared that she is usually “worried” about how she might come across as a leader.

“That is such a worry of mine just even as a leader in how you come across, and that worry in the back of your mind can inhibit you from saying how you really feel,” she said.

“Obviously, you don’t have to be mean about certain things, but that fear of speaking your truth shouldn’t prevent you from doing it,” she explained.

Rae then divulged the worst piece of advice she has ever received: follow the rules.

“[The worst piece of advice I’ve ever gotten is] ‘do it the traditional way.’ That means following the rules, waiting for someone to choose you, waiting to break in with other people’s permission, and that just... that didn’t suit me, so I’m glad I didn’t listen.”

Rae, who worked on Insecure as a producer and co-writer, has been mentoring four students from Howard University over the summer, as they worked to create a national advertising campaign.

Discussing her approach when mentoring students, she said: “I tell young people [just starting out in their careers] to search for other young people who are just as hungry as they are and collaborate with one another.

“I think there’s such a power in working with the people next to you and building together.”

This isn’t the first time that Rae has publicly discussed the difficult stereotypes placed on women, particularly the negative stereotypes placed on Black women.

Appearing on the Duchess of Sussex’s Archetypes podcast last year, Rae was asked by Meghan Markle if she feels she is “allowed to be angry” as a Black woman.

“Absolutely not,” Rae replied. “Because I can’t lose my cool, I can’t do that especially as a Black woman, but also just even as a public figure now.

“Because people are looking for ways to justify their perception of you. That doesn’t mean I don’t get angry. That might mean that I will vent my frustrations to someone that I trust, get it out of my system and then go into fix mode.”