From 'Barbie' to 'Love Birds,' Issa Rae Is Making a Fortune Acting
Updated July 19 2023, 2:47 p.m. ET
It's hard to deny the impact that Issa Rae has had on Hollywood in the decade that she has been active in the industry. Known for her work as an actor, writer, and producer, Issa has championed the stories of people of color through various means and has made history in the process.
Commendable accolades aside, what's Issa's net worth? Just how rich is the Hollywood actor who stars in the Barbie film (which hit theaters on July 2, 2023) alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling? More importantly, how did she become the star she is today? Here's what we know about Issa's career, husband, and her net worth.
What is Issa Rae's net worth?
Issa has been active in the film industry since roughly 2011, and has become quite a star. Between award nominations, magazine placements, and the resounding critical success of virtually all the works she participated in, it's clear that Issa has carved her own lane in Hollywood and is a force to be reckoned with.
Issa's net worth has climbed drastically, from $4 million in 2021, to $8 million as of July 2023. Given Issa's level of talent and commitment to the industry, we weren't surprised to learn just how wealthy the actor has become since breaking into the industry (more on that later).
Issa Rae
Actor, Writer, Producer
Net worth: $8 million
Issa Rae is an actor, writer, and producer who has taken part in many hit series both online and on television, as well as in feature films. Her projects include Awkward Black Girl, Insecure, The Hate U Give, Little, The Photograph, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Barbie.
Birthdate: Jan. 12, 1985
Birthplace: Los Angeles, Calif.
Birth name: Jo-Issa Rae Diop
Father: Abdoulaye Diop
Mother: Delyna Diop
Marriages: Louis Diame (2021-present)
Children: None
Education: Stanford University, B.A. in African and African American Studies; New York Film Academy
Issa Rae's life and career have been full of remarkable achievements.
Issa was born on Jan. 12, 1985, in Los Angeles to two successful parents. Her father, Abdoulaye Diop, works as both a pediatrician and neonatologist, hailing originally from Senegal. He operates a medical practice in Inglewood, Calif.
Her mother, Delyna Diop (née Hayward), works as a teacher and is from Louisiana. The couple first met while studying abroad in France, and their union gave way to five children.
Although she was born in Los Angeles, Issa and her family lived in Dakar, Senegal, for a short period during her childhood. She then spent a few years in Potomac, Md., but that was short-lived as well. Her family opted to move back to L.A. when she was in the sixth grade. Fluent in French, the budding star began her acting journey when she was still in high school.
In 2007, the Barbie star graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in African and African American Studies. While in college, Issa worked on music videos, plays, and even a mock reality show series. However, it wasn't until a few years after her graduation that her career as an actor really started to blossom.
Issa's first claim to fame, the YouTube series Awkward Black Girl, premiered in 2011. The show quickly went viral and thanks to some support from Pharrell, it grew to even greater acclaim internationally. Following that success, Issa began promoting other original content — starring and written by people of color — on her channel.
Issa's first big break in TV came through her starring role in the hit HBO show Insecure. In 2013, she and Larry Wilmore wrote a pilot focusing on the awkward experiences of the modern Black woman. HBO jumped on the project in 2015, greenlit it, and the rest is history.
Insecure has garnered a ton of critical acclaim and nominations for Issa at the Golden Globes as well as at the Primetime Emmy Awards.
After the success of Insecure, Issa began expanding her reach in the entertainment sphere even further. In 2015, we saw the release of her memoir titled, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, which quickly became a New York Times best-seller.
On Oct. 11, 2019, Google announced that Issa's voice would be added to Google Assistant, and the actor launched her own music label, titled Raedio. This led her to produce the hit track "Kinda Love" by singer TeaMarrr.
Issa forayed into feature films as well, starring in The Photograph and The Love Birds in 2020. Then in March 2021, the star's production company, Hoorae, agreed to a five-year film and television deal with industry giant WarnerMedia.
Who is Issa Rae's husband?
Issa Rae and her husband, Louis Diame.
Issa and her longtime boyfriend, Louis Diame, a Senegalese businessman, were officially married in July 2021. While it isn't clear when Issa met Louis and how they met, The Washington Post has helped us uncover that their relationship dates back to 2012 (or before). Per Elle, Issa refers to Diame as her "boyfriend" in the piece, hence, allowing us to conclude they've been longtime lovers.
