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Downloaded from
YTS.MX
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("Honesty" by
Pink Sweat$ playing)
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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Woman:
That is a series wrap
on our queen, Issa Rae.
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(cheering and applause)
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♪ She said, baby,
I'm afraid to fall in love ♪
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Issa Rae:
You guys, I am
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just incredibly...
humbled, blessed, uh...
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(crying):
I love you.
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I love you, too.
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(laughing)
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This show has been
a part of the revolution.
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The way you showcase
our humanity,
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and portray us with grace
and accountability.
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The way you love your city.
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The way you love your people,
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Black people in your city,
is part of the revolution.
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The way you always
give and share credit
where credit is due
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is part of the revolution.
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The way you created
and collaborated
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with the intention
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of our fucked up, incredible,
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and beautiful Black
full humanity...
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baked into the identity
and heart of this show
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is part of the revolution.
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The way you look
so damn good...
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(cheering)
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even when you ashy...
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(all laughing)
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is part of the revolution.
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The way you recognize
every step of the way,
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that it's a collaborative
and collective effort.
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There are no heroes.
We get us free.
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With this show,
you made big girls feel seen,
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you made dark-skinned
women feel seen,
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you made toxic
Black men feel...
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toxic...
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(all laughing)
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and understood.
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You made people realize things
about their mental health.
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Together,
y'all shifted culture.
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There is no revolution
without art.
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(applause)
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("Life's A Bitch" by
Radiant Children playing)
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♪ La, la, la, la, la, la ♪
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♪ La, la, la, la, la, la ♪
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♪ Oh, it's easier
said than done ♪
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♪ But don't you worry
'bout those little things ♪
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Prentice Penny:
I would've never thought
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six years ago we'd all be here,
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but I just
want to say that
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making a show,
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just working in
for a long time,
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and not bein' able to see
people that look like me.
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To be able to do
a show like that here,
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that, like, now
sets the groundwork
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that people wanna make
more shows like us
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is just really special.
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You don't get to be
a part of those things a lot.
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(cheering)
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Let's shoot this shit
for another three months,
guys!
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Season six!
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(laughing)
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You know,
I came into this not knowing
anything about television,
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and not necessarily feeling
confident in my role.
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I had a web series,
and, you know,
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to have a mentor
who's so selfless,
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and has put his ego aside
time and time again
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to make sure that I was
able to create the show
that I wanted to make
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with the people
I wanted to make it with,
I'm coming out of this
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a different person,
a better person,
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and I hope you guys are, too.
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Thank you to the love
of my life, my brother.
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(laughing)
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(downtempo music playing)
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Issa:
We are back at Stanford
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shooting the very first episode
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of the final season
at my alma mater.
This is crazy.
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Nobody gets to do this.
Stanford has never
done this before,
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and they let us shoot here.
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I actually got mad
because I didn't want
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the characters
to go to Stanford.
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Because of a props
mistake in season one,
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we just ended up
establishing them as that,
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so, I was like, "Fuck!"
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But then,
we just went with it,
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so, no, I did not imagine
we'd be back here shooting,
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but when we came out
with the idea for a reunion,
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it just made so much sense,
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and felt so meta perfect
for this season.
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We're coming back to the place
where Issa and Molly
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became friends.
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(indistinct chatter)
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It feels so good to be back.
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Laura Kittrell:
It's sort of picking up
from last season,
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post Issa-Molly fight
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with them, sort of,
on their road to reconciliation.
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Things are still
a little bit awkward,
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but you can tell they both want
to be back in that good place.
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When I was at Stanford,
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I was into theater because
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I had been in plays
all of high school.
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And then,
I was super into film
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because of
"Love & Basketball,"
specifically.
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I wasn't really
thinking about TV
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because TV wasn't
really that poppin' then.
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There just wasn't enough
representation then,
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and there was nothing
on television that
made me feel like,
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"Oh, I wanna make
what they're making."
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I mean, I love "The Office,"
I love those kind of shows,
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and, obviously, "Curb"
and, and "Seinfeld,"
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and that's what
influenced me to try to write
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television later on,
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but I never thought about
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starring in my own TV show.
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(on computer):
Stupid bitch nigga,
I hope you drown.
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That'll turn my frown
upside down.
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Amy Gravitt:
I first heard about Issa Rae,
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the way a lot of people did,
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seeing her web series.
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I think what she showed
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in "Awkward Black Girl"
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is something that we look
for in all of our shows,
which is...
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we want the audience
to be able to recognize
themselves,
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and on the comedy side,
specifically,
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we want them to be able
to laugh in recognition.
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What Issa showed
was that she was willing
to put herself out there,
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and mine her own
humanity for laughs.
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(raps):
♪ Call me Lil' Kim ♪
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♪ 'Cause I got a crush on you ♪
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♪ Wanna make you my boo ♪
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♪ Carpool with you to school ♪
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00:05:51,375 --> 00:05:52,834
♪ Be starin' at you
in geometry ♪
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00:05:52,918 --> 00:05:54,209
♪ Fantasize about you
on top of me ♪
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00:05:54,292 --> 00:05:55,876
♪ I'm a virgin,
but I promise thee ♪
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♪ I got that ill nana, no
foxy ♪
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00:05:59,584 --> 00:06:01,292
The development process with HBO
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was long, but it was necessary.
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Issa had an initial
idea for the show,
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we went into HBO,
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we pitched it
to Amy Gravitt
and Casey Bloys.
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It was set
in the nonprofit world,
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and it was just
about my experiences,
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and it still was,
kind of, similar
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to "Awkward Black Girl,"
but I didn't wanna do
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"Awkward Black Girl"
all over again.
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And in doing that pitch,
I was nervous as fuck.
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I was reading off
of the paper in the meeting
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because I'm not the type to be
able to just engage people,
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and, "Oh, look at my show."
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I was just like,
this is what it's 'bout to be.
This is it.
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They bought it in the room.
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They said,
"Exciting. Let's do it."
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And then,
we were in development,
probably, about
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a year and a half, two years.
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When I tell you,
comin' from the internet world,
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I was like, "I can
make this shit right now.
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Like, what is the problem?"
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She had this notion
that she wanted to
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do a workplace comedy.
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The idea was centered
much more around
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what, ultimately,
became We Got Y'all.
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We would meet
from time to time
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as she was
developing the outline,
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and talk about the script,
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but also, she would have
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these stories about
a friend of hers,
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and I think, at one point,
she even showed us a text,
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00:07:01,834 --> 00:07:04,751
and it was in that moment
that Casey was like,
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"That's the show.
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"It's you and your friend,
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00:07:07,667 --> 00:07:09,751
and the world around
both of you."
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He did not sad face you.
I will slap you right--
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Bish, what?
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That's my life.
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Issa:
I got to rewriting,
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and then, I was also like,
"Ooh, fuck it."
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Like, I'm puttin' all
elements of my life in here.
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You hungry?
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-Just--
-Take it!
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Pop, pop, pop.
Pot pie.
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So, I can say this
is rooted in authenticity,
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this is a real story.
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And that's when they were
like, "Okay, green light."
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TT The Artist:
♪ Welcome to the life
of the rich and the fly ♪
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Issa:
I had to find a showrunner.
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HBO sent a couple
people my way.
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00:07:42,459 --> 00:07:43,918
Ashley Holland,
who is an agent,
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00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:45,834
was like, "You should
think about Prentice Penny."
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First time we met in person
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00:07:47,375 --> 00:07:49,167
was when you came
to my book signing
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-in Eso Won.
-Yes, Eso Won, yep.
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00:07:50,959 --> 00:07:53,626
Issa:
And then, we ended up usin'
Eso Won so much for the show--
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00:07:53,709 --> 00:07:55,250
-Yes, I wrote you a letter--
-Yeah.
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00:07:55,334 --> 00:07:57,834
to see like,
"Hey, this is what I thought
I would bring to it."
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00:07:57,918 --> 00:08:00,167
But I'm curious,
what was it like
to get the letter?
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00:08:00,250 --> 00:08:01,500
'Cause people don't
send each other, like,
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00:08:01,584 --> 00:08:03,209
-letters anymore for anything.
-Issa: No.
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00:08:03,292 --> 00:08:05,042
It went such a long way.
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00:08:05,125 --> 00:08:07,042
Obviously, I hadn't gotten
a letter from anybody,
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00:08:07,125 --> 00:08:09,542
and to see, like,
what you identify with
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00:08:09,626 --> 00:08:11,500
knowin' that, you know,
we were in the same area,
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00:08:11,584 --> 00:08:13,417
-knowin' that you had worked
in the nonprofit world.
-Right.
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00:08:13,500 --> 00:08:15,792
I was like,
"Oh, this guy seems to get it."
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00:08:15,876 --> 00:08:18,334
So, that letter,
by the time you came
to the book signing,
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00:08:18,417 --> 00:08:20,751
I was already like,
"Oh, this dude seems cool."
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00:08:20,834 --> 00:08:27,751
And I hadn't read shit
that you did until...
I had already said yes.
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00:08:27,834 --> 00:08:30,125
-'Cause I was just like,
"Oh yeah, he--"
-"He seems cool."
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00:08:30,209 --> 00:08:32,042
Which is almost how
we made every decision.
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00:08:32,125 --> 00:08:33,959
(laughing)
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00:08:34,042 --> 00:08:36,417
Director:
And camera, action!
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00:08:36,500 --> 00:08:40,709
The director process,
to find one, was soul-crushing.
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00:08:40,792 --> 00:08:42,626
HBO wanted someone,
uh, established,
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00:08:42,709 --> 00:08:45,083
and I think for them,
they wanted someone
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00:08:45,167 --> 00:08:46,250
who had a name.
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00:08:46,334 --> 00:08:48,250
And so, we found someone,
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00:08:48,334 --> 00:08:51,751
and they flew me to New York
to meet this director,
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00:08:51,834 --> 00:08:54,459
and after that meeting,
I was like,
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00:08:54,542 --> 00:08:56,042
"I don't think
he gets the show."
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00:08:56,125 --> 00:08:59,042
We had several other
directors who I was fans of,
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00:08:59,125 --> 00:09:00,918
but still didn't quite
get the show to me.
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00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,542
Casey was like,
"If you had to take a risk,
who would you want?"
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00:09:04,626 --> 00:09:06,500
And I was like,
"There's this director
I've been following,
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00:09:06,584 --> 00:09:09,250
Melina Matsoukas,
who could be dope."
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00:09:09,334 --> 00:09:12,667
People really didn't
give opportunities
to directors like me.
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00:09:12,751 --> 00:09:14,751
I had done, primarily,
music videos and commercials,
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00:09:14,834 --> 00:09:17,042
and I had really
broken in that space,
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00:09:17,125 --> 00:09:18,918
but it didn't translate
to film and TV.
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00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,584
And so, I was offered
a lot of series that
I didn't relate to.
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00:09:22,667 --> 00:09:24,792
When I read this,
I saw myself in the words,
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00:09:24,876 --> 00:09:26,709
fell in love
with her on the page,
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00:09:26,792 --> 00:09:29,125
and then, I met her,
and I was like,
"She ain't so bad.
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00:09:29,209 --> 00:09:30,292
Maybe we can collaborate."
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00:09:30,375 --> 00:09:33,667
We did a Skype meeting,
and it was terrible.
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00:09:33,751 --> 00:09:35,250
(chuckles)
It was like, "Girl",
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00:09:35,334 --> 00:09:37,792
"you knew that we've
been going and seeing
these other directors.
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00:09:37,876 --> 00:09:39,042
You ain't come prepared."
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00:09:39,125 --> 00:09:39,959
I was on the East Coast.
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00:09:40,042 --> 00:09:41,709
I was visiting my family,
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00:09:41,792 --> 00:09:44,459
and, you know,
the WiFi wasn't working.
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00:09:44,542 --> 00:09:46,751
It was just really
hard to connect.
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00:09:46,834 --> 00:09:49,459
I knew I liked them.
They weren't sure
if they liked me yet.
243
00:09:49,542 --> 00:09:51,459
Her rep was like,
"What happened?
How did it go?"
244
00:09:51,542 --> 00:09:53,167
And I was like,
"Bitch, what the fuck?
What happened?
245
00:09:53,250 --> 00:09:54,667
Like, tell her to come correct."
246
00:09:54,751 --> 00:09:56,792
And she was like,
"Let me get her another meeting.
247
00:09:56,876 --> 00:09:57,918
I will prep her."
248
00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,500
I watched every
comedy pilot possible,
249
00:10:00,584 --> 00:10:03,667
and I put together a real
treatment and pitch deck,
250
00:10:03,751 --> 00:10:04,959
and I brought it with me,
251
00:10:05,042 --> 00:10:06,834
and that meeting
was phenomenal.
252
00:10:06,918 --> 00:10:08,959
It was everything.
She blew us all away,
253
00:10:09,042 --> 00:10:10,876
and we knew that
she was the one.
254
00:10:10,959 --> 00:10:12,375
Melina Matsoukas:
When we were
creating the pilot,
255
00:10:12,459 --> 00:10:13,626
I didn't really
think about it
256
00:10:13,709 --> 00:10:15,334
as something that hadn't
been done before.
257
00:10:15,417 --> 00:10:17,417
I just thought about it as
258
00:10:17,500 --> 00:10:18,792
how I approach any project.
259
00:10:18,876 --> 00:10:20,000
I wanted to
260
00:10:20,083 --> 00:10:23,000
really get inside
of who Issa Dee was,
261
00:10:23,083 --> 00:10:26,542
what influenced her,
and who she spoke to and for,
262
00:10:26,626 --> 00:10:29,834
and I wanted everything
to feel really authentic
to that character.
263
00:10:29,918 --> 00:10:32,709
So, do y'all have any questions?
264
00:10:32,792 --> 00:10:34,626
Don't be shy, guys.
Fire away.
265
00:10:34,709 --> 00:10:35,959
When she was editing,
266
00:10:36,042 --> 00:10:38,000
she called me up, and said,
"Hey, would you come down,
267
00:10:38,083 --> 00:10:40,125
"and watch my cut
before I show them?
268
00:10:40,209 --> 00:10:41,834
I just want to get
someone else's feedback."
269
00:10:41,918 --> 00:10:43,667
And she played it back for me,
270
00:10:43,751 --> 00:10:46,167
and I'll never forget this,
but I watched that cut,
271
00:10:46,250 --> 00:10:47,959
I got... really emotional,
272
00:10:48,042 --> 00:10:49,417
and it was almost--
I was silent.
273
00:10:49,500 --> 00:10:51,792
And she was like, "Ya hate it."
And I was like...
274
00:10:51,876 --> 00:10:53,626
"No, I think they're
gonna love it."
275
00:10:53,709 --> 00:10:55,667
It was the first time I realized
276
00:10:55,751 --> 00:10:57,542
how important a show
like this could be,
277
00:10:57,626 --> 00:11:02,334
and how... I hadn't seen
a Black woman represented
in that way.
278
00:11:02,417 --> 00:11:03,834
The show was
gonna be a success.
279
00:11:03,918 --> 00:11:06,000
Like, I knew--
I was like, there is no way
280
00:11:06,083 --> 00:11:09,834
people can see this
beautifully crafted pilot,
281
00:11:09,918 --> 00:11:12,250
beautifully shot,
beautifully acted,
282
00:11:12,334 --> 00:11:15,500
and the humanity in the comedy,
and the relatability,
283
00:11:15,584 --> 00:11:18,292
and how could you not give
a show like this a chance?
284
00:11:18,375 --> 00:11:20,792
And, um, you know,
legend has it that, uh,
285
00:11:20,876 --> 00:11:23,083
when they turned in the edit,
and we got a series pickup,
286
00:11:23,167 --> 00:11:25,209
it was, supposedly,
like one of the fastest
287
00:11:25,292 --> 00:11:28,417
pickups in HBO's history,
and I think that shows just
288
00:11:28,500 --> 00:11:30,209
how much work and love
and, and energy
289
00:11:30,292 --> 00:11:32,834
was really put into
getting that pilot right.
290
00:11:32,918 --> 00:11:34,375
It's my fault,
okay.
291
00:11:34,459 --> 00:11:35,292
I'm sorry, guys.
292
00:11:35,375 --> 00:11:36,959
("Blessed" by
Saint Bodhi playing)
293
00:11:37,042 --> 00:11:38,792
♪ I just walked up
on my boyfriend ♪
294
00:11:38,876 --> 00:11:39,709
♪ Kissing on ♪
295
00:11:39,792 --> 00:11:41,709
♪ The next-door neighbor ♪
296
00:11:41,792 --> 00:11:43,292
♪ But it's cool ♪
297
00:11:45,083 --> 00:11:47,292
(indistinct chatter)
298
00:11:49,292 --> 00:11:50,751
Shall we?
299
00:11:50,834 --> 00:11:51,959
Look at us...
300
00:11:52,042 --> 00:11:53,959
lookin' like
a diversity brochure.
301
00:11:54,042 --> 00:11:55,792
(all laughing)
302
00:11:55,876 --> 00:11:57,584
Amanda Seales:
I just remember,
the first audition,
303
00:11:57,667 --> 00:12:00,292
I had went in
for jalapeño poppers.
304
00:12:00,375 --> 00:12:01,459
-Tasha.
-Amanda: For Tasha.
305
00:12:01,542 --> 00:12:04,542
The description said
"hood hot."
306
00:12:04,626 --> 00:12:07,500
And I was like,
"I am not hood hot,"
307
00:12:07,584 --> 00:12:08,834
'cause you have
to know your strengths,
308
00:12:08,918 --> 00:12:10,626
and I'm shaped
like an iPhone,
309
00:12:10,709 --> 00:12:12,083
sleek lines and rounded edges,
310
00:12:12,167 --> 00:12:15,792
so I knew that
I wasn't going to...
get cast in that role.
311
00:12:15,876 --> 00:12:17,417
So, I went in,
and I was like,
"Vickie,
312
00:12:17,500 --> 00:12:19,042
I'm never gonna book this.
Is there anything else?"
313
00:12:19,125 --> 00:12:20,459
And she was like,
"What else we
got back there?"
314
00:12:20,542 --> 00:12:22,292
And she's like,
"Oh, they got early 30s.
315
00:12:22,375 --> 00:12:24,626
Ivy League graduate."
And I was like,
"That's my life!"
316
00:12:24,709 --> 00:12:26,209
Speaker:
Sophomore year,
you hooked up with that chick
317
00:12:26,292 --> 00:12:27,417
that looked like Lisa Turtle.
318
00:12:27,500 --> 00:12:29,375
That's different.
See, with women,
319
00:12:29,459 --> 00:12:31,667
we can hook up with each other,
and we're not considered gay.
320
00:12:31,751 --> 00:12:32,834
It's different for men.
321
00:12:32,918 --> 00:12:35,167
So, my very first audition
with Vickie was like,
322
00:12:35,250 --> 00:12:37,125
"How come I don't know you?"
I was like, "'Cause it's L.A.,
323
00:12:37,209 --> 00:12:39,334
"and nobody knows
a little Black girl like me
324
00:12:39,417 --> 00:12:41,667
who don't have
no agent, no nothing."
325
00:12:41,751 --> 00:12:43,000
After it was done,
she was like,
326
00:12:43,083 --> 00:12:45,626
"You're good... You're good."
327
00:12:45,709 --> 00:12:47,334
And she really
kind of stepped up
328
00:12:47,417 --> 00:12:49,667
every time she came
back to audition.
329
00:12:49,751 --> 00:12:51,500
You'd give her a note,
she'd take it.
330
00:12:51,584 --> 00:12:53,500
She was like a diamond that
you just needed to, kind of,
331
00:12:53,584 --> 00:12:54,459
shine a little bit.
332
00:12:54,542 --> 00:12:56,000
"Sorry, but I'm not looking
333
00:12:56,083 --> 00:12:57,584
for a relationship..."
334
00:12:57,667 --> 00:12:58,626
Sad face.
335
00:12:58,709 --> 00:13:00,250
The fourth one,
that was like,
336
00:13:00,334 --> 00:13:03,959
"Oh, if y'all don't want me."
(laughs)
337
00:13:04,042 --> 00:13:05,792
That's how I felt
walkin' down...
338
00:13:05,876 --> 00:13:08,876
Rodeo Drive and Beverly.
I think I skipped--
339
00:13:10,709 --> 00:13:12,876
It was the scene
where we had...
340
00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:14,292
the fight in the car,
341
00:13:14,375 --> 00:13:17,209
and I added the like,
okay, the slam lock is on,
342
00:13:17,292 --> 00:13:19,083
and, like, I just--
I couldn't get out.
343
00:13:19,167 --> 00:13:21,000
I was like,
I'mma, I'mma do it.
I'mma go for it,
344
00:13:21,083 --> 00:13:23,667
and I was like,
"Open this damn door!"
345
00:13:23,751 --> 00:13:24,834
Muthafucka, open the door!
346
00:13:24,918 --> 00:13:26,584
-The child lock's on.
-Shut the fuck up!
347
00:13:26,667 --> 00:13:27,876
Yvonne Orji:
They were like,
"Ah, that's funny."
348
00:13:27,959 --> 00:13:29,292
I was like,
"Oh, that was a choice."
349
00:13:29,375 --> 00:13:30,792
Didn't know how
this was gonna go,
so I felt
350
00:13:30,876 --> 00:13:32,042
really good after that.
351
00:13:32,125 --> 00:13:33,834
Between audition
three and four,
352
00:13:33,918 --> 00:13:36,209
it was between paying
my cell phone bill,
353
00:13:36,292 --> 00:13:38,250
and getting
a private coach.
354
00:13:38,334 --> 00:13:41,083
And I was like...
"I'mma have to get
this private coach."
355
00:13:41,167 --> 00:13:44,375
If I get the job,
I hope they can
contact me another way
356
00:13:44,459 --> 00:13:46,459
'cause Sprint is dead, okay?
357
00:13:46,542 --> 00:13:48,000
I'm the only one on the show
358
00:13:48,083 --> 00:13:51,459
that's been a director,
cast member, and writer,
359
00:13:51,542 --> 00:13:52,709
and it's been incredible.
360
00:13:52,792 --> 00:13:55,000
Natasha went from
361
00:13:55,083 --> 00:13:57,250
being a writer
in the room
to being Kelli
362
00:13:57,334 --> 00:13:59,417
in a very specific way.
363
00:13:59,500 --> 00:14:01,209
A lot of times,
we'll read it as a room
364
00:14:01,292 --> 00:14:02,584
to kind of see,
like, how does it feel.
365
00:14:02,667 --> 00:14:05,626
She just read Kelli so great,
366
00:14:05,709 --> 00:14:08,918
that we couldn't imagine
anybody else being as funny
367
00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:10,918
as Natasha was being Kelli.
368
00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,083
You ever see
"Lock Up Abroad"?
369
00:14:13,167 --> 00:14:15,876
-The gon' lock a broad up.
-(laughing)
370
00:14:15,959 --> 00:14:18,042
Oh god, a favorite Kelli line.
371
00:14:18,125 --> 00:14:19,375
That is so hard.
372
00:14:19,459 --> 00:14:21,000
I improvise so much,
so sometimes
373
00:14:21,083 --> 00:14:22,709
I don't remember
what's an actual line,
374
00:14:22,792 --> 00:14:23,876
or something I've said,
375
00:14:23,959 --> 00:14:26,918
or something I've said
never made the air.
376
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,125
I do like,
"Remember me different."
377
00:14:29,209 --> 00:14:33,125
Only because I say that
in my, my real life
378
00:14:33,209 --> 00:14:34,292
all the time.
379
00:14:34,375 --> 00:14:36,959
Fuck it!
You said Beyoncé.
380
00:14:37,042 --> 00:14:40,459
(electricity zapping)
381
00:14:40,542 --> 00:14:41,959
Remember me different.
382
00:14:42,042 --> 00:14:43,459
Just like, don't look
at me doing this.
383
00:14:43,542 --> 00:14:45,000
And I also love,
384
00:14:45,083 --> 00:14:46,834
"You know what that is?"
385
00:14:46,918 --> 00:14:47,959
Growth.
386
00:14:48,042 --> 00:14:48,918
You a big girl.
387
00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:50,083
Issa:
You know, we wanted to make
388
00:14:50,167 --> 00:14:51,209
-a good--
-Prentice: Yeah.
389
00:14:51,292 --> 00:14:52,792
-show at the end of the day.
-Prentice: Yeah.
390
00:14:52,876 --> 00:14:54,500
And I remember,
I was talkin' to Jonathan,
391
00:14:54,584 --> 00:14:55,751
we were wrapping,
and he was like,
392
00:14:55,834 --> 00:14:57,500
"You know this never works."
393
00:14:57,584 --> 00:14:59,125
He was like,
"You know, like a creator,
394
00:14:59,209 --> 00:15:00,959
"and a showrunner
who come together,
395
00:15:01,042 --> 00:15:03,209
there's always,
like, a power play."
396
00:15:03,292 --> 00:15:04,918
I, I feel like
the first time that you
397
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:06,709
bucked up, and then,
bucked up is the wrong word
398
00:15:06,792 --> 00:15:08,667
was just in the depiction
of, of Lawrence.
399
00:15:08,751 --> 00:15:10,250
-Mm-hm.
-That, that made
such a difference.
400
00:15:10,334 --> 00:15:12,209
-He could've been written
in such a different way--
-Right.
401
00:15:12,292 --> 00:15:15,500
-if we didn't have, like,
your perspective, your as a man.
-Yeah.
402
00:15:15,584 --> 00:15:18,876
-(laughing)
-As a man, what he not gon' do.
403
00:15:20,459 --> 00:15:22,959
I actually
heard about "Insecure"--
404
00:15:23,042 --> 00:15:24,209
I'mma give
this brother a shout-out.
405
00:15:24,292 --> 00:15:25,834
Clarence Hammond
calls me one day,
406
00:15:25,918 --> 00:15:27,876
and he was like,
"Yo, have you
heard of 'Insecure'?"
407
00:15:27,959 --> 00:15:29,334
And I was like,
"No, what's that?"
And he was like,
408
00:15:29,417 --> 00:15:31,459
"It's Issa Rae's
new pilot at HBO,
409
00:15:31,542 --> 00:15:33,083
"and it just got greenlit.
You should read it.
410
00:15:33,167 --> 00:15:35,000
There's a character
in there you're perfect for."
411
00:15:35,083 --> 00:15:37,500
And now mind you,
I read the script,
and I'm,
412
00:15:37,584 --> 00:15:40,959
literally, thinking
he's talkin' about
Daniel, not Lawrence.
413
00:15:41,042 --> 00:15:42,626
Lawrence is sittin'
on the couch,
414
00:15:42,709 --> 00:15:45,167
he's eatin' cereal,
he forgot his girl's birthday.
415
00:15:45,250 --> 00:15:46,834
You know, I'm just
gettin' my shit together.
416
00:15:46,918 --> 00:15:49,417
You've been gettin'
your shit together for
four years, Lawrence.
417
00:15:49,500 --> 00:15:52,375
In no way in my mind
did I think that this dude
418
00:15:52,459 --> 00:15:55,459
was talkin' about Lawrence bein'
the perfect character for me.
419
00:15:55,542 --> 00:15:59,292
And I remember walkin' in,
and I did Lawrence first.
420
00:15:59,375 --> 00:16:01,542
My shoulders were,
kind of like hunched over,
421
00:16:01,626 --> 00:16:03,000
very didn't want to be there,
422
00:16:03,083 --> 00:16:05,209
but I felt like that's where
Lawrence was in his head,
423
00:16:05,292 --> 00:16:06,959
and then, I remember I,
like, put my sides down,
424
00:16:07,042 --> 00:16:09,626
turned around,
and I was like, "Bam!"
Like, "Let's do this."
425
00:16:09,709 --> 00:16:12,459
And, like, all of a sudden,
was like a whole new person
426
00:16:12,542 --> 00:16:13,500
to do Daniel.
427
00:16:13,584 --> 00:16:14,876
I was like,
"Oh, I booked that."
428
00:16:14,959 --> 00:16:16,334
Three weeks later,
I get a phone call,
429
00:16:16,417 --> 00:16:18,000
and they're like,
"Hey, they wanna test you
430
00:16:18,083 --> 00:16:20,000
-on 'Insecure.'"
-All right, cool.
431
00:16:20,083 --> 00:16:23,584
But I never asked my rep
what character they wanted
to test me on,
432
00:16:23,667 --> 00:16:27,209
so I actually thought
I was going to read
for Daniel again.
433
00:16:27,292 --> 00:16:29,751
And then, found out that
I was going to do Lawrence.
434
00:16:29,834 --> 00:16:33,584
-So, what're you sayin'?
-Issa: I didn't think that
Lawrence would make it past
435
00:16:33,667 --> 00:16:37,417
the first season,
let alone the first episode.
436
00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:40,250
Jay Ellis is so great.
Like I think about
"Breaking Bad."
437
00:16:40,334 --> 00:16:42,959
Jesse wasn't supposed
to be a main character.
438
00:16:43,042 --> 00:16:44,334
It was supposed
to just follow Walt,
439
00:16:44,417 --> 00:16:45,959
and Jesse is,
obviously, the show,
440
00:16:46,042 --> 00:16:47,584
and I think about
that with Jay Ellis.
441
00:16:47,667 --> 00:16:49,083
Like he was just so phenomenal
442
00:16:49,167 --> 00:16:50,375
that every single time
we'd break stories,
443
00:16:50,459 --> 00:16:52,334
we'd wanna see what
Lawrence was doing.
444
00:16:52,417 --> 00:16:55,876
The hands-down moment
I knew the show was a success
445
00:16:55,959 --> 00:16:57,876
was after our season finale.
446
00:16:57,959 --> 00:16:59,918
I remember Prentice bein' like,
447
00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,792
"Yo, the finale.
People gonna go crazy
when they see the finale."
448
00:17:02,876 --> 00:17:04,792
And I read it,
and I was like,
"I don't think so.
449
00:17:04,876 --> 00:17:06,792
"Like, it's, it's, it's
not that crazy of a ending.
450
00:17:06,876 --> 00:17:08,918
Like what are
you talkin' about?"
But I read the ending,
451
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,334
and realized I was
gonna be butt naked.
452
00:17:11,417 --> 00:17:14,417
(moaning)
453
00:17:14,500 --> 00:17:18,292
Issa:
When I logged onto Twitter,
just independent of anything,
454
00:17:18,375 --> 00:17:20,959
saw people tweeting
about Issa and Lawrence.
455
00:17:21,042 --> 00:17:23,667
And I was like,
I'm not on the hashtag.
456
00:17:23,751 --> 00:17:26,250
It was just--
My entire timeline was
457
00:17:26,334 --> 00:17:28,083
people I followed
or people retweeting
458
00:17:28,167 --> 00:17:29,709
arguing about these
two characters.
459
00:17:29,792 --> 00:17:31,834
And I was like,
"This is incredible."
I'm getting chills now.
460
00:17:31,918 --> 00:17:33,375
Like, they're just talkin'
about these characters,
461
00:17:33,459 --> 00:17:35,626
and they're invested
in these characters.
462
00:17:35,709 --> 00:17:36,751
That was amazing.
463
00:17:36,834 --> 00:17:38,125
I didn't see it comin', man,
464
00:17:38,209 --> 00:17:39,792
but it hit people in a way that,
465
00:17:39,876 --> 00:17:42,042
still to this day,
I just don't know if I've seen
466
00:17:42,125 --> 00:17:43,959
a sex scene hit people
like that before.
467
00:17:44,042 --> 00:17:47,667
Issa:
We wanted to celebrate
the bodies of men on this show
468
00:17:47,751 --> 00:17:50,584
in the way that they weren't
celebrated on other shows,
469
00:17:50,667 --> 00:17:54,083
as opposed to the female body
'cause we've seen that before.
470
00:17:54,167 --> 00:17:56,918
(indistinct chatter)
471
00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,209
Prentice:
I like that wording.
472
00:17:58,292 --> 00:17:59,918
I did a interview
with a magazine, and--
473
00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:01,042
Did I ever tell you this?
474
00:18:01,125 --> 00:18:03,125
A woman asked me,
"Why...
475
00:18:03,209 --> 00:18:05,250
"is the sex so
graphic on the show?
476
00:18:05,334 --> 00:18:07,042
Is that the way
Black people do it?"
477
00:18:07,125 --> 00:18:10,125
-(laughing)
-What?
478
00:18:10,209 --> 00:18:11,834
Jay Ellis:
On God.
479
00:18:11,918 --> 00:18:13,751
-On--
-Amanda: A white woman?
480
00:18:13,834 --> 00:18:15,709
Like, but what
kind of white?
Like, Euro white?
481
00:18:15,792 --> 00:18:18,000
-Like, American white?
-Wade Allain-Marcus: Yeah,
you talkin' like Karen white?
482
00:18:18,083 --> 00:18:19,626
-A Karen.
-Kendrick Sampson:
I, literally, just
483
00:18:19,709 --> 00:18:20,834
told my family not to watch.
484
00:18:20,918 --> 00:18:22,500
I tried to tell my family,
they said--
485
00:18:22,584 --> 00:18:25,167
But you naked
half the time
on Instagram anyway.
486
00:18:25,250 --> 00:18:27,876
-What's the issue?
-But it's my titties,
not my dick.
487
00:18:27,959 --> 00:18:29,792
-Okay.
-Or like my ass.
488
00:18:32,751 --> 00:18:35,959
-Cue marker.
-Issa: Ahh!
489
00:18:36,042 --> 00:18:39,083
-Hey.
-Hey, sorry, I, I wasn't
tryin' to scare you.
490
00:18:39,167 --> 00:18:42,250
You know,
when you ended things,
I, I understood.
491
00:18:42,334 --> 00:18:43,626
You know, I had
a son on the way,
492
00:18:43,709 --> 00:18:44,959
and I was movin',
but...
493
00:18:45,042 --> 00:18:46,375
things are different now.
I'm different now.
494
00:18:46,459 --> 00:18:50,042
And... I would hate
to leave here tonight
495
00:18:50,125 --> 00:18:51,626
knowin' that,
I don't know,
496
00:18:51,709 --> 00:18:53,542
I could've said somethin'
and I didn't.
497
00:18:53,626 --> 00:18:56,542
Or like I didn't...
fight hard enough for you.
498
00:18:56,626 --> 00:18:58,542
(indistinct chatter)
499
00:18:58,626 --> 00:18:59,709
Issa:
That was passion!
500
00:18:59,792 --> 00:19:02,042
I loved how you were,
were makin' that point.
501
00:19:02,125 --> 00:19:05,125
I want to try a take where
time is of the essence,
502
00:19:05,209 --> 00:19:06,709
-the whole conversation for you.
-Run it?
503
00:19:06,792 --> 00:19:08,792
-Yeah, just, just run it
'cause you don't know--
-Okay.
504
00:19:08,876 --> 00:19:10,667
-how much of a window
you, actually, have.
-Yeah.
505
00:19:10,751 --> 00:19:13,167
-Okay. Okay.
-Okay? Cool.
506
00:19:13,250 --> 00:19:15,584
Kendrick:
Prentice is mad at me
'cause he's team Lawrence.
507
00:19:15,667 --> 00:19:18,334
It's very thinly veiled.
(chuckles)
508
00:19:18,417 --> 00:19:21,000
He be actin' like
he's unbiased,
but he's not.
509
00:19:21,083 --> 00:19:24,959
I'mma get it out of him.
I'm figurin' out what's
gonna go on in the finale.
510
00:19:26,375 --> 00:19:28,292
I always rooted
for Issa and Lawrence.
511
00:19:28,375 --> 00:19:30,375
And then,
I honestly believe,
in season four,
512
00:19:30,459 --> 00:19:31,709
I got to a point
where I was like,
513
00:19:31,792 --> 00:19:33,042
"Yo, some things
just don't work out.
514
00:19:33,125 --> 00:19:34,334
They tried and it didn't work."
515
00:19:34,417 --> 00:19:35,584
Going into season five,
516
00:19:35,667 --> 00:19:37,500
I don't know if
I was team Lawrence.
517
00:19:37,584 --> 00:19:41,209
Early on in our conversations,
just breaking the stories,
518
00:19:41,292 --> 00:19:43,167
Issa, the person, was like,
519
00:19:43,250 --> 00:19:46,709
"Issa, the character,
would be a dumb bitch
to stay with Lawrence."
520
00:19:46,792 --> 00:19:48,959
But, throughout
breaking the season,
521
00:19:49,042 --> 00:19:51,292
I think she started
to come around to,
522
00:19:51,375 --> 00:19:52,667
"Well, does that
have to be the way?"
523
00:19:52,751 --> 00:19:54,083
And as we started
breaking the season,
524
00:19:54,167 --> 00:19:57,209
Issa, the person,
also got on board
525
00:19:57,292 --> 00:19:59,542
with that ending, too.
526
00:19:59,626 --> 00:20:02,250
Laura: Last year,
once we did the episode
527
00:20:02,334 --> 00:20:05,459
where Lawrence and Issa have
the whole night together,
528
00:20:05,542 --> 00:20:07,959
we basically wrote an episode
about how they're soulmates,
529
00:20:08,042 --> 00:20:10,167
and so, by the time we got
to this season, it's like,
530
00:20:10,250 --> 00:20:11,667
we've told the world
that they're soulmates,
531
00:20:11,751 --> 00:20:13,667
so they have
to end up together,
or we're
532
00:20:13,751 --> 00:20:15,834
basically saying that
the protagonist of our show
533
00:20:15,918 --> 00:20:17,459
doesn't deserve to be
with her soulmate.
534
00:20:17,542 --> 00:20:18,876
So, I think there, ultimately,
535
00:20:18,959 --> 00:20:20,292
was no other way
to end the show.
536
00:20:20,375 --> 00:20:22,334
Tonight made me happy.
537
00:20:23,792 --> 00:20:25,584
You make me happy.
538
00:20:26,542 --> 00:20:27,792
When we first started as a room,
539
00:20:27,876 --> 00:20:31,292
and we were talking about
Issa's arc as a character,
540
00:20:31,375 --> 00:20:36,417
we actually talked a lot
about what it meant for her
to stay at We Got Y'all.
541
00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:38,751
There was something
really limiting about that,
542
00:20:38,834 --> 00:20:41,375
and we we're just like,
"Why is she still here
543
00:20:41,459 --> 00:20:43,250
"if she, herself,
has established
544
00:20:43,334 --> 00:20:44,918
that she don't wanna be here?"
545
00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:46,792
And it makes me think
even her romantic arc.
546
00:20:46,876 --> 00:20:48,250
In the beginning,
we were like,
547
00:20:48,334 --> 00:20:49,709
"Oh, by the end of season one,
548
00:20:49,792 --> 00:20:51,375
she's gonna kiss Daniel."
549
00:20:51,459 --> 00:20:55,000
And if our goal is to show
a Black woman who is flawed,
550
00:20:55,083 --> 00:20:58,167
and a Black woman who isn't all,
like, you know, white suits,
551
00:20:58,250 --> 00:20:59,709
red wine, no spills,
552
00:20:59,792 --> 00:21:02,876
then we have to show her
make flawed decisions.
553
00:21:02,959 --> 00:21:04,667
And that means
quitting your job
without knowing
554
00:21:04,751 --> 00:21:06,000
exactly what you're doing next.
555
00:21:06,083 --> 00:21:07,375
That means fuckin' the dude,
556
00:21:07,459 --> 00:21:08,626
not just kissin' the dude.
557
00:21:08,709 --> 00:21:10,000
That means lying
to your partner,
558
00:21:10,083 --> 00:21:11,500
and saying,
"I'm in this," and then,
559
00:21:11,584 --> 00:21:12,709
turning around,
and, like,
560
00:21:12,792 --> 00:21:14,250
talkin' to this guy
at your event.
561
00:21:14,334 --> 00:21:15,709
We were like,
"What are the bad things
562
00:21:15,792 --> 00:21:18,000
"she can do that
she can correct from
563
00:21:18,083 --> 00:21:20,542
that make her more dynamic
and more believable
as a character?"
564
00:21:20,626 --> 00:21:23,125
(downtempo music playing)
565
00:21:23,209 --> 00:21:26,417
(indistinct chatter)
566
00:21:33,292 --> 00:21:35,000
Prentice:
One of the things
that I was looking for
567
00:21:35,083 --> 00:21:38,375
when I was assembling the room
was learning from the...
568
00:21:38,459 --> 00:21:41,959
certain way of things
I had been seeing
for the last seven years.
569
00:21:42,042 --> 00:21:46,083
I knew that I didn't
want repetitive voices.
570
00:21:46,167 --> 00:21:48,042
The thing is if--
"Oh, if I have a Black woman,
571
00:21:48,125 --> 00:21:49,584
I don't need any
other Black women."
572
00:21:49,667 --> 00:21:52,459
And no Black woman can speak
for all Black women, right?
573
00:21:52,542 --> 00:21:54,667
While the agents
were sending us
574
00:21:54,751 --> 00:21:56,500
voices that felt like,
575
00:21:56,584 --> 00:21:58,334
"Oh, I'm gonna send
you eight Issas."
576
00:21:58,417 --> 00:21:59,834
But I was like,
"I have Issa.
577
00:21:59,918 --> 00:22:01,125
"I don't need eight Issas.
578
00:22:01,209 --> 00:22:03,417
I need something that's
gonna be contrary to Issa."
579
00:22:03,500 --> 00:22:07,500
Writing on "Insecure" has been
one of the most fulfilling
experiences of my life.
580
00:22:07,584 --> 00:22:09,959
It's the safest
I've ever felt in a room.
581
00:22:10,042 --> 00:22:11,417
I never felt like...
582
00:22:11,500 --> 00:22:14,500
anything I pitched was
too stupid or, like, too bad.
583
00:22:14,584 --> 00:22:16,250
I felt like
I could say anything.
584
00:22:16,334 --> 00:22:17,667
Every season of the show,
585
00:22:17,751 --> 00:22:19,459
we just wanted to make
each other laugh,
586
00:22:19,542 --> 00:22:20,584
and make Issa laugh,
587
00:22:20,667 --> 00:22:22,417
and it just, honestly, felt like
588
00:22:22,500 --> 00:22:23,667
a conversation with friends
589
00:22:23,751 --> 00:22:26,334
where you happen to be
breaking plot at the same time.
590
00:22:26,417 --> 00:22:28,584
I always feel like you have
to let writers have lives.
591
00:22:28,667 --> 00:22:31,167
That's the tithe you have
to give to make a show.
592
00:22:31,250 --> 00:22:33,167
Otherwise, they're just
in a writers' room all the time.
593
00:22:33,250 --> 00:22:36,751
Prentice did a lot to be like,
"Okay, on Fridays, we're
gonna have a happy hour.
594
00:22:36,834 --> 00:22:40,042
We're going to have social
events on the weekends."
Like we went to Disneyland.
595
00:22:40,125 --> 00:22:42,542
We did things that made
us feel like friends,
596
00:22:42,626 --> 00:22:44,125
and it just made us
better at our jobs
597
00:22:44,209 --> 00:22:45,876
because we were
open and sharing,
598
00:22:45,959 --> 00:22:48,167
and, like, giving ourselves
to the content.
599
00:22:48,250 --> 00:22:51,000
I was very proud
of the rooms
that we assembled,
600
00:22:51,083 --> 00:22:52,584
and I think it spoke
to the fact that
601
00:22:52,667 --> 00:22:54,292
we didn't have a lot
of turnover in our room.
602
00:22:54,375 --> 00:22:57,000
From the first three seasons
were all the same writers,
603
00:22:57,083 --> 00:22:58,959
and then,
obviously as a blessing,
604
00:22:59,042 --> 00:23:00,459
those writers got
opportunities, right,
605
00:23:00,542 --> 00:23:01,792
as a part of being on the show,
606
00:23:01,876 --> 00:23:03,167
and then, we replenished with
607
00:23:03,250 --> 00:23:04,918
four more amazing writers,
and those writers
608
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:06,125
stuck with us till the end.
609
00:23:30,125 --> 00:23:31,667
Issa:
Good morning.
610
00:23:40,918 --> 00:23:43,959
When Issa comes to me,
she goes on a vacation.
611
00:23:45,584 --> 00:23:47,709
She's on some island right now.
612
00:23:47,792 --> 00:23:50,500
I like early calls.
613
00:23:50,584 --> 00:23:54,542
Early calls mean
you get out earlier...
sometimes.
614
00:23:54,626 --> 00:23:56,876
It's always great
to be able to work,
615
00:23:56,959 --> 00:24:00,292
and my thing is...
this always starts at the top,
616
00:24:00,375 --> 00:24:04,083
and however the lead is,
is kinda what you get,
617
00:24:04,167 --> 00:24:09,459
and, I have to say,
we doin' really good
over here with our lead.
618
00:24:09,542 --> 00:24:10,959
I'm old-school.
619
00:24:11,042 --> 00:24:14,792
I can go back
to working on "Martin."
(chuckles)
620
00:24:14,876 --> 00:24:17,125
And I did
"The Bernie Mac Show."
621
00:24:17,209 --> 00:24:19,083
Been doin' this
for a minute,
622
00:24:19,167 --> 00:24:22,000
but this is such
an amazing talent
623
00:24:22,083 --> 00:24:25,542
because you're working
with younger, amazing
624
00:24:25,626 --> 00:24:30,375
group of people that's taken
this industry to another level.
625
00:24:32,626 --> 00:24:34,626
With their creativeness,
you know?
626
00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:38,709
I love that.
627
00:24:42,125 --> 00:24:45,834
This is my time
to make love to the hair.
628
00:24:45,918 --> 00:24:47,667
(laughing)
629
00:24:49,417 --> 00:24:54,292
I always say that...
her hair and my hands
have a love affair, so.
630
00:24:55,751 --> 00:24:58,292
(Issa speaking)
631
00:24:59,959 --> 00:25:01,751
(Felicia laughs)
I love you, too.
632
00:25:01,834 --> 00:25:04,167
You not gonna deny it? Wow.
633
00:25:04,250 --> 00:25:05,792
I love you, too.
634
00:25:05,876 --> 00:25:09,459
But this hair is everything.
It's my favorite.
635
00:25:09,542 --> 00:25:12,542
Now, I found out about,
uh, "Awkward Black Girl"
636
00:25:12,626 --> 00:25:16,083
because...
natural hair was emerging,
637
00:25:16,167 --> 00:25:19,417
and, uh... at that time,
I was runnin' around
638
00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:23,417
with Jill Scott who
really did help a lot of
639
00:25:23,500 --> 00:25:26,500
people to look at natural
hair very differently.
640
00:25:26,584 --> 00:25:29,209
I remember people sayin',
"Have you seen
'Awkward Black Girl'?
641
00:25:29,292 --> 00:25:31,209
You need to see it.
Her hair is natural."
642
00:25:31,292 --> 00:25:33,918
I just remember a time
in history where
643
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,751
you would see a woman
with short hair or short afro,
644
00:25:36,834 --> 00:25:38,500
and not really
think much about it,
645
00:25:38,584 --> 00:25:41,209
but they made it
a really big deal...
646
00:25:41,292 --> 00:25:44,500
that Issa had natural hair
647
00:25:44,584 --> 00:25:47,083
and, um, and had cut it off.
648
00:25:47,167 --> 00:25:49,834
You know, and talked
about that on her show.
649
00:25:49,918 --> 00:25:53,125
So, I started watchin' it,
and I was like,
"Oh, this is good."
650
00:25:53,209 --> 00:25:55,292
You know... I get it,
651
00:25:55,375 --> 00:25:57,042
and then, every now and then,
652
00:25:57,125 --> 00:25:59,334
I'll get these messages...
653
00:25:59,417 --> 00:26:00,751
from women sayin'...
654
00:26:01,834 --> 00:26:03,167
"I can't wait
for the next season
655
00:26:03,250 --> 00:26:05,042
to see what you're
gonna do with the hair."
656
00:26:05,125 --> 00:26:07,709
'Cause then I get
ideas for work
657
00:26:07,792 --> 00:26:09,209
and goin' out,
and I'm like,
658
00:26:09,292 --> 00:26:11,500
"Well, that's great
that you really are
659
00:26:11,584 --> 00:26:13,834
"anticipating the next season,
660
00:26:13,918 --> 00:26:16,042
or the next episode
for the hair."
661
00:26:16,125 --> 00:26:18,334
When I look back
at all the photos...
662
00:26:18,417 --> 00:26:19,542
that I've taken
663
00:26:19,626 --> 00:26:22,334
of the hairstyles we've done,
it's like,
664
00:26:22,417 --> 00:26:24,918
it's like
a thousand hairstyles.
It's crazy.
665
00:26:25,042 --> 00:26:27,334
I do not plan
these styles, you guys.
666
00:26:27,417 --> 00:26:28,542
(Felicia laughs)
667
00:26:28,626 --> 00:26:30,167
They, literally, are
668
00:26:30,250 --> 00:26:33,083
kinda like a creation between
Issa and I in the morning.
669
00:26:33,167 --> 00:26:35,334
Sometimes, I have
an idea of what I want,
670
00:26:35,417 --> 00:26:37,876
but once I see the wardrobe,
it could change.
671
00:26:37,959 --> 00:26:40,042
Yeah, it's off the cuff.
672
00:26:40,125 --> 00:26:41,334
There's our superstar!
673
00:26:41,417 --> 00:26:43,500
-Hey, I'm so glad
we're doing this.
-Issa: Me too.
674
00:26:43,584 --> 00:26:48,000
Well... let me show you
what our brand partnership
looks like.
675
00:26:50,375 --> 00:26:53,626
Brand perception and awareness
are both up significantly
676
00:26:53,709 --> 00:26:55,375
coming off of the last
handful of events--
677
00:26:55,459 --> 00:26:57,292
Melina:
I didn't really
wanna make a comedy
678
00:26:57,375 --> 00:26:58,751
that looked like
any other comedy.
679
00:26:58,834 --> 00:27:00,167
Cinematically, I was like,
680
00:27:00,250 --> 00:27:02,542
"I think we can push this,
and we can allow it to live
681
00:27:02,626 --> 00:27:05,709
"in a different space
'cause it's a very
specific show,
682
00:27:05,792 --> 00:27:07,334
and so, it should
have its own look."
683
00:27:07,417 --> 00:27:09,626
Everything was kinda
based in authenticity,
684
00:27:09,709 --> 00:27:11,542
and having it feel
as real as possible,
685
00:27:11,626 --> 00:27:15,334
and lighting Black people
in a way that I was used to,
686
00:27:15,417 --> 00:27:17,209
where we're like
celebrating their bodies,
687
00:27:17,292 --> 00:27:19,083
and their skin,
and their joy.
688
00:27:19,167 --> 00:27:21,209
We were pretty
successful the first year.
689
00:27:21,292 --> 00:27:23,083
Second year,
Ava came on board,
690
00:27:23,167 --> 00:27:24,834
and she came from indie film,
691
00:27:24,918 --> 00:27:27,083
and I really loved
her work and aesthetic.
692
00:27:27,167 --> 00:27:29,167
I already had strong ideas
693
00:27:29,250 --> 00:27:31,459
on what I would do differently.
694
00:27:31,542 --> 00:27:34,751
I felt like there were
some missed opportunities,
695
00:27:34,834 --> 00:27:36,792
visually, in terms
of how to incorporate
696
00:27:36,876 --> 00:27:39,500
cinematography into
the DNA of the show.
697
00:27:39,584 --> 00:27:42,417
One of the things that I said
when I kinda went in there was,
698
00:27:42,500 --> 00:27:44,792
"You're missing how
cool this show is.
699
00:27:44,876 --> 00:27:48,709
"You're missing literal
color in people's skin,
700
00:27:48,792 --> 00:27:51,876
in Los Angeles, the warmth,
the architecture."
701
00:27:51,959 --> 00:27:54,709
I just wanted to feel
the environment more
702
00:27:54,792 --> 00:27:56,792
in this visual storytelling.
703
00:27:56,876 --> 00:28:00,042
I just think that "Insecure"
is more than just a comedy.
704
00:28:00,125 --> 00:28:02,584
It's part of
a cultural movement.
705
00:28:02,667 --> 00:28:03,834
It's part of visual culture,
706
00:28:03,918 --> 00:28:05,709
and I just wanted it to be that,
707
00:28:05,792 --> 00:28:07,167
to show up for that.
708
00:28:07,250 --> 00:28:08,792
♪ ♪
709
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,292
(indistinct chatter)
710
00:28:11,375 --> 00:28:12,584
Okay, so I want
everybody to look at me.
711
00:28:12,667 --> 00:28:14,500
I just wanna make sure
nobody's being blocked.
712
00:28:14,584 --> 00:28:15,709
(laughs)
713
00:28:15,792 --> 00:28:17,375
Just make sure
I don't lose you.
714
00:28:17,459 --> 00:28:18,876
-Nathan?
-Kendrick: Uh, yeah.
715
00:28:18,959 --> 00:28:20,709
Sorry, would you look at me?
716
00:28:20,792 --> 00:28:22,042
(Prentice speaking)
717
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,209
-She looks good, right?
-(Prentice speaking)
718
00:28:26,292 --> 00:28:27,459
Did you tell her that?
719
00:28:27,542 --> 00:28:29,375
I told her soon
as she got here.
I said, "You look--"
720
00:28:29,459 --> 00:28:30,918
I said,
"You look beautiful."
721
00:28:31,042 --> 00:28:32,626
-I'm gonna tell her again.
-Go for it.
722
00:28:32,709 --> 00:28:34,792
I mean, I mean,
I love this floral.
723
00:28:34,876 --> 00:28:36,375
Yvonne looks great.
Yvonne looks great,
724
00:28:36,459 --> 00:28:38,918
Issa looks great,
I think Issa's shoes
really set that outfit.
725
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:40,834
-I think... Huh?
-(Shiona speaking)
726
00:28:40,918 --> 00:28:42,125
(Prentice speaking)
727
00:28:42,209 --> 00:28:44,792
(laughing)
728
00:28:44,876 --> 00:28:46,792
I guess costumes,
to me, is-is just like
729
00:28:46,876 --> 00:28:48,959
cinematography which is
like production design, right?
730
00:28:49,042 --> 00:28:50,459
There's a story in all of it.
731
00:28:50,542 --> 00:28:53,125
And I really believe in
how we tell a story visually.
732
00:28:53,209 --> 00:28:56,292
The show is also about,
like, the diversity
of Black people and women.
733
00:28:56,375 --> 00:28:58,709
Each person has to have
their own style,
734
00:28:58,792 --> 00:29:00,083
and their own
sense of expression.
735
00:29:00,167 --> 00:29:01,459
You know your neck's
not long enough
736
00:29:01,542 --> 00:29:02,584
for these turtlenecks?
737
00:29:02,667 --> 00:29:04,667
Well, girl,
I'm exchangin' all these.
738
00:29:04,751 --> 00:29:06,709
Condola got me meetin'
in all these fancy spots,
739
00:29:06,792 --> 00:29:08,751
and I gotta rotate
my wardrobe to keep up.
740
00:29:08,834 --> 00:29:10,751
Melina:
I remember first
and second season,
741
00:29:10,834 --> 00:29:13,459
we would have clothes,
but, you know, we had
limited budgets,
742
00:29:13,542 --> 00:29:14,709
and I remember
in the pilot, like,
743
00:29:14,792 --> 00:29:16,500
Issa on stage,
that's my outfit.
744
00:29:16,584 --> 00:29:18,500
Wore that for New Year's
one year, and I was like,
745
00:29:18,584 --> 00:29:19,459
"This is perfect."
746
00:29:19,542 --> 00:29:21,209
-You love this.
-I love that.
747
00:29:21,292 --> 00:29:22,417
Shiona Turini:
I think it's cute.
748
00:29:22,500 --> 00:29:24,167
Woman:
And I think it
looks good on her.
749
00:29:24,250 --> 00:29:25,709
Shiona: But then,
are we wasting it here?
750
00:29:25,792 --> 00:29:27,167
-Well, it's never a waste.
-Yeah.
751
00:29:27,250 --> 00:29:30,918
I loved this...
but with a different shirt.
752
00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:32,500
Shiona:
When I started at "Insecure,"
753
00:29:32,584 --> 00:29:34,626
the aesthetics
of the main characters
754
00:29:34,709 --> 00:29:36,709
were pretty much
already carved out,
755
00:29:36,792 --> 00:29:38,459
which was a unique challenge
756
00:29:38,542 --> 00:29:40,792
because I continued
that narrative,
757
00:29:40,876 --> 00:29:44,375
but added my own twist,
my own personal touch.
758
00:29:44,459 --> 00:29:46,626
For Issa,
we elevated her
a little bit,
759
00:29:46,709 --> 00:29:49,083
and that was
really exciting to see.
760
00:29:49,167 --> 00:29:51,250
Diversity's always top of mind.
761
00:29:51,334 --> 00:29:54,500
In addition to just
the team that we hire,
762
00:29:54,584 --> 00:29:59,459
we really try and focus
on using, and shooting,
and purchasing
763
00:29:59,542 --> 00:30:02,042
designers of color,
Black women,
764
00:30:02,125 --> 00:30:05,250
um, young
up-and-comers in L.A.,
765
00:30:05,334 --> 00:30:07,959
and that's a way
that we can support,
766
00:30:08,042 --> 00:30:12,375
and support financially
just designers of color
within our community.
767
00:30:12,459 --> 00:30:16,125
When it came to work
on episode 507 with Amy,
768
00:30:16,209 --> 00:30:19,000
I pitched her the idea
of only featuring
769
00:30:19,083 --> 00:30:23,125
Black female designers
on our principles.
770
00:30:23,209 --> 00:30:25,834
I wanted to try and feature
Black female designers
771
00:30:25,918 --> 00:30:28,083
for, like, every aspect from
772
00:30:28,167 --> 00:30:29,792
the earrings to the shoes
773
00:30:29,876 --> 00:30:31,834
to, of course,
all of the clothing.
774
00:30:31,918 --> 00:30:34,250
She was really,
really up for it.
775
00:30:34,334 --> 00:30:36,542
It presented a lot
of different challenges,
776
00:30:36,626 --> 00:30:38,751
but at the same time,
it really gave us an opportunity
777
00:30:38,834 --> 00:30:42,209
to champion and support
Black female designers
778
00:30:42,292 --> 00:30:44,667
in a way that we haven't
really done on the show.
779
00:30:44,751 --> 00:30:47,417
We've, obviously, incorporated
them in different costumes,
780
00:30:47,500 --> 00:30:49,042
but never a true focal point.
781
00:30:49,125 --> 00:30:51,751
And I think it really played
into the story of these women
782
00:30:51,834 --> 00:30:53,626
coming together,
one of the last times,
783
00:30:53,709 --> 00:30:55,792
and supporting each other
as they are moving through
784
00:30:55,876 --> 00:31:01,083
the world and now moving
on to different experiences.
785
00:31:01,167 --> 00:31:02,792
Amy Aniobi:
I'm directing episode 507,
786
00:31:02,876 --> 00:31:04,042
which is called,
"Chillin', Okay?"
787
00:31:04,125 --> 00:31:05,959
It's a really special episode
788
00:31:06,042 --> 00:31:07,876
'cause it's all
the girls together
789
00:31:07,959 --> 00:31:09,542
almost the entire episode.
790
00:31:09,626 --> 00:31:11,167
It's basically
one of these times,
791
00:31:11,250 --> 00:31:12,876
like you're plannin'
to go out with your friends,
792
00:31:12,959 --> 00:31:14,542
and then, you just
never make it out.
793
00:31:14,626 --> 00:31:15,918
So, it's playback,
action, camera.
794
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,250
You start smoking,
and then, on action, Issa,
795
00:31:18,334 --> 00:31:20,334
that's when you
deliver your line.
796
00:31:20,417 --> 00:31:22,459
I've been working
on "Insecure" since
the very beginning.
797
00:31:22,542 --> 00:31:24,209
I feel like I worked
on pre-"Insecure"
798
00:31:24,292 --> 00:31:27,042
because I wrote for
"Misadventures of
Awkward Black Girl."
799
00:31:27,125 --> 00:31:30,375
"Insecure" is a show that
has really different
800
00:31:30,459 --> 00:31:32,751
levels of directors,
and a lot of new talent.
801
00:31:32,834 --> 00:31:34,751
And I had so many
friends ask me
802
00:31:34,834 --> 00:31:36,250
from season one, like,
"Are you gonna direct?"
803
00:31:36,334 --> 00:31:38,626
And I was always like,
"Ooh, no. The show?
It's so hard."
804
00:31:38,709 --> 00:31:41,209
Really it was growing
as a producer on set,
805
00:31:41,292 --> 00:31:45,125
and supporting so many
different types of directors,
and seeing how they work.
806
00:31:45,209 --> 00:31:48,083
I felt like, for four seasons,
I was shadowing directors.
807
00:31:48,167 --> 00:31:49,667
Issa:
I'm not about to argue
with someone who went to
808
00:31:49,751 --> 00:31:51,250
Scared Straight for high school.
809
00:31:51,334 --> 00:31:52,792
(laughing)
810
00:31:52,876 --> 00:31:56,209
-Kelli: I went there, too, so.
-All right, let's cut.
811
00:31:56,292 --> 00:31:57,334
When I came to "Insecure,"
812
00:31:57,417 --> 00:31:58,792
it was the first time
I'd been on a set
813
00:31:58,876 --> 00:32:01,167
where people of color
were at the top,
814
00:32:01,250 --> 00:32:03,667
and the vibe on set,
and the people,
815
00:32:03,751 --> 00:32:05,000
it was diverse for real.
816
00:32:05,083 --> 00:32:06,334
It wasn't "PA diverse,"
817
00:32:06,417 --> 00:32:08,542
it wasn't "one person
over here diverse."
818
00:32:08,626 --> 00:32:10,584
It was diverse in all aspects.
819
00:32:10,667 --> 00:32:13,250
This is the first show
that I've ever been on where
820
00:32:13,334 --> 00:32:16,334
when I get into a scout van,
which includes director,
821
00:32:16,417 --> 00:32:18,876
cinematographer,
assistant director,
822
00:32:18,959 --> 00:32:20,709
that I'm the only
white guy in the van.
823
00:32:20,792 --> 00:32:22,792
And that is the first
time in 30 years
824
00:32:22,876 --> 00:32:24,125
that that's ever happened,
825
00:32:24,209 --> 00:32:25,959
and I'm not straight,
826
00:32:26,042 --> 00:32:27,792
so there were no straight
white guys in the van.
827
00:32:27,876 --> 00:32:30,626
Ava Berkofsky:
I see a lot of women
in the camera department
828
00:32:30,709 --> 00:32:32,876
'cause I make it that way.
829
00:32:32,959 --> 00:32:35,876
This show has been all
about giving people that shot,
830
00:32:35,959 --> 00:32:39,459
and I was given that shot,
and I want to give that shot
to other people.
831
00:32:39,542 --> 00:32:41,584
When it comes
to giving people chances,
832
00:32:41,667 --> 00:32:43,459
people will show you
that they're ready,
833
00:32:43,542 --> 00:32:45,292
and I just love
passionate people.
834
00:32:45,375 --> 00:32:49,209
I love to be around people
who love to do the work,
who are about it.
835
00:32:49,292 --> 00:32:52,042
That kind of tells you
all you need to know.
836
00:32:52,125 --> 00:32:54,876
First time I met Issa was 2009,
837
00:32:54,959 --> 00:32:56,125
Issa did this workshop.
838
00:32:56,209 --> 00:32:57,918
I won the "Insecure"
On Set Contest
839
00:32:58,000 --> 00:32:59,167
that HBO put on.
840
00:32:59,250 --> 00:33:00,626
At the end of 2016,
841
00:33:00,709 --> 00:33:02,709
the winners of the contest
got to move to LA,
842
00:33:02,792 --> 00:33:05,000
and work on the show as set PAs.
843
00:33:05,083 --> 00:33:07,167
Afterwards, I,
like, stood in line
to talk to her.
844
00:33:07,250 --> 00:33:08,584
I'm like,
"Hey, you know,
I'm writing now."
845
00:33:08,667 --> 00:33:11,250
I really hadn't had any
real eyes on my work yet.
846
00:33:11,334 --> 00:33:12,542
I was so bold.
847
00:33:12,626 --> 00:33:14,500
Even though I was PA-ing,
I tried to let people know,
848
00:33:14,584 --> 00:33:16,626
"I'm a writer, and that's
what I'm trying to do,"
849
00:33:16,709 --> 00:33:19,042
talkin' to Issa whenever
I got an opportunity to do so.
850
00:33:19,125 --> 00:33:22,083
She read my pilot script,
and...
851
00:33:22,167 --> 00:33:23,709
Kindsey Young:
Issa personally emails me,
852
00:33:23,792 --> 00:33:26,417
"and she was like,
"Hey Kindsey, not sure
what you're up to,
853
00:33:26,500 --> 00:33:28,751
"but we, potentially,
have a spot opening up
854
00:33:28,834 --> 00:33:31,542
for writer's assistant
in the writers' room
if you're interested."
855
00:33:31,626 --> 00:33:33,500
And I'm like,
"Duh, of course,
I'm interested."
856
00:33:33,584 --> 00:33:37,042
I dropped everything,
and I came to become
a showrunner's assistant,
857
00:33:37,125 --> 00:33:39,918
and a writer's PA for
season one of "Insecure."
858
00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:42,667
Now I'm a showrunner
of "Rap Shit" for HBO Max,
859
00:33:42,751 --> 00:33:45,334
so, I mean, I don't know.
(laughs) It's crazy.
860
00:33:45,417 --> 00:33:47,000
Prentice:
Six years ago,
none of those people
861
00:33:47,083 --> 00:33:48,375
had professional writing jobs,
862
00:33:48,459 --> 00:33:49,626
and now they're showrunners
863
00:33:49,709 --> 00:33:51,000
and writers on other shows.
864
00:33:51,083 --> 00:33:53,542
You know, I see how,
in five seasons,
865
00:33:53,626 --> 00:33:56,459
we've given, uh, eight
first-time directors,
866
00:33:56,542 --> 00:33:59,125
their, their opportunity
to direct their first
episode of TV.
867
00:33:59,209 --> 00:34:03,584
I think seven...
I think seven writers
over the last five seasons,
868
00:34:03,667 --> 00:34:05,459
go on to get
their own overall deals.
869
00:34:05,542 --> 00:34:08,542
We've seen six of our writers
from these five seasons,
870
00:34:08,626 --> 00:34:11,167
go on to become showrunners,
post-"Insecure."
871
00:34:11,250 --> 00:34:12,959
You know,
we've hired and broken in
872
00:34:13,042 --> 00:34:15,834
two costume designers,
a new DP to television,
873
00:34:15,918 --> 00:34:19,209
and across the board,
you really do see growth.
874
00:34:19,292 --> 00:34:21,042
That is a true testament
to their legacy,
875
00:34:21,125 --> 00:34:23,626
and to the legacy of the show,
is that we always, always,
876
00:34:23,709 --> 00:34:28,459
always tried to open many doors
for as many people as possible.
877
00:34:28,542 --> 00:34:31,626
Anthony Sims:
So, I met Issa Rae
at a 7-Eleven, randomly,
878
00:34:31,709 --> 00:34:33,542
years ago, before "Insecure."
879
00:34:33,626 --> 00:34:36,417
We talked about Hollywood,
and what we each do.
880
00:34:36,500 --> 00:34:39,375
So, fast forward years later.
She's very successful.
881
00:34:39,459 --> 00:34:42,000
I have a wife and kids,
and I'm tryin' to figure out
882
00:34:42,083 --> 00:34:44,042
the best way
to support my family.
883
00:34:44,125 --> 00:34:45,709
I thought getting into a union
884
00:34:45,792 --> 00:34:47,792
is probably one of
my best opportunities.
885
00:34:47,876 --> 00:34:49,292
When COVID hit,
I was pretty discouraged,
886
00:34:49,375 --> 00:34:50,709
didn't think it
was gonna happen.
887
00:34:50,792 --> 00:34:52,292
So, I happened to work on a show
888
00:34:52,375 --> 00:34:54,125
with one of the producers
from "Insecure."
889
00:34:54,209 --> 00:34:57,500
I was wearing, I think,
an "Insecure" hoodie or a hat.
890
00:34:57,584 --> 00:34:59,626
And he asked and said,
"Oh, do you know Issa?"
891
00:34:59,709 --> 00:35:02,667
Like, "Do you work on the show?"
And I said, you know, "I do."
892
00:35:02,751 --> 00:35:05,000
Was tellin' her about how
hard it is to get into a union,
893
00:35:05,083 --> 00:35:07,834
and she said to me,
"There's always a way."
894
00:35:07,918 --> 00:35:09,459
Let me see what I can do.
If I can get you on the show,
895
00:35:09,542 --> 00:35:12,125
and help count towards
your days, like,
that's a win, right?
896
00:35:12,209 --> 00:35:14,375
And it's also
a win for inclusion,
897
00:35:14,459 --> 00:35:17,918
and making sure that, again,
this show is continuing to
898
00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:19,125
create opportunities.
899
00:35:19,209 --> 00:35:22,459
Uh, fast forward a few months
and I got a call.
900
00:35:22,542 --> 00:35:25,876
It worked out.
This show means
so much to me.
901
00:35:25,959 --> 00:35:27,459
It's helpin' me
take care of my family.
902
00:35:27,542 --> 00:35:30,626
I can go home,
and look at my wife,
and she's proud of me.
903
00:35:31,876 --> 00:35:36,042
(smooth R&B playing)
904
00:35:44,792 --> 00:35:46,667
Amber Haley:
We were told at the beginning
of this season
905
00:35:46,751 --> 00:35:49,083
that we were going to have
an art walk in this area,
906
00:35:49,167 --> 00:35:52,667
and so, that we
should look for artists
in Crenshaw and Inglewood,
907
00:35:52,751 --> 00:35:54,334
Black artists in particular.
908
00:35:54,417 --> 00:35:56,000
Kay Lee: Creatively,
to put this all together,
909
00:35:56,083 --> 00:35:58,000
took a good three weeks,
910
00:35:58,083 --> 00:36:00,334
but to really, physically,
put it together,
911
00:36:00,417 --> 00:36:01,459
we did it in two days.
912
00:36:01,542 --> 00:36:04,125
Issa is very specific
in embracing
913
00:36:04,209 --> 00:36:06,375
all the locations
that we've seen
914
00:36:06,459 --> 00:36:09,000
in all five seasons
of "Insecure."
915
00:36:09,083 --> 00:36:12,584
If it wasn't gonna be
Leimert Park Plaza,
it wasn't gonna be--
916
00:36:12,667 --> 00:36:13,792
There wasn't really an option.
917
00:36:13,876 --> 00:36:17,250
(laughs) There wasn't
really an option.
918
00:36:17,334 --> 00:36:20,209
Hey, look who's
over here shoppin'--
919
00:36:20,292 --> 00:36:21,918
Kevin Bray:
The Black Art Walk is
920
00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,292
an event where Los Angelian
African-American artists
921
00:36:25,375 --> 00:36:26,626
are able to show
off their work.
922
00:36:26,709 --> 00:36:28,459
And as with everything
Issa does,
923
00:36:28,542 --> 00:36:30,876
there's a verisimilitude
that has to do with
924
00:36:30,959 --> 00:36:32,626
what the real world is doing,
925
00:36:32,709 --> 00:36:34,125
and what she's
doing in the show.
926
00:36:34,209 --> 00:36:37,042
Her master plan was she
was gonna come down here,
927
00:36:37,125 --> 00:36:38,834
and she was gonna
spend the money
928
00:36:38,918 --> 00:36:40,959
for us to be workin'
in this community.
929
00:36:41,042 --> 00:36:43,667
It ain't "Insecure" if we
don't have a block party,
930
00:36:43,751 --> 00:36:47,125
if we don't have--
In the neighborhood
where the Blacks are.
931
00:36:47,209 --> 00:36:49,292
(loud beeping)
Ooh... ooh. Hello?
932
00:36:49,375 --> 00:36:50,876
I'm tryna shoot over here.
933
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:53,834
Oh, it's a black Yukon...
Suge Knight is comin' through.
934
00:36:53,918 --> 00:36:55,792
I don't know who's there,
but here we are.
935
00:36:55,876 --> 00:36:59,709
-I said, it's not "Insecure"
if we don't have a big--
-(speaker feedback)
936
00:37:01,417 --> 00:37:03,334
Y'all didn't disrespect
other actresses like this.
937
00:37:03,417 --> 00:37:05,959
-(rap music plays)
-Oh, oh, now it's a party.
938
00:37:06,042 --> 00:37:08,834
You know what?
This is, this is why
we do what we do.
939
00:37:08,918 --> 00:37:12,083
They said,
"Oh, the cameras is rolling?
We havin' a party."
940
00:37:12,167 --> 00:37:15,500
(laughs)
I love it!
941
00:37:15,584 --> 00:37:19,083
So, you were saying,
how does it feel to be shooting
in a Black neighborhood?
942
00:37:19,167 --> 00:37:21,334
(laughs)
This is, this is how it feels.
943
00:37:21,417 --> 00:37:23,584
They're like,
"It's a cookout.
It's a party.
944
00:37:23,667 --> 00:37:25,042
Well, we gon' get
in on it, too."
945
00:37:25,125 --> 00:37:26,584
I think that's
not only Issa Dee,
946
00:37:26,667 --> 00:37:28,417
but Issa Rae's
desire and mission
947
00:37:28,500 --> 00:37:29,876
is to promote
the Black community,
948
00:37:29,959 --> 00:37:32,417
especially, you know, one
where there's so much culture,
949
00:37:32,500 --> 00:37:34,000
and there's so much art,
and there's so much
950
00:37:34,083 --> 00:37:36,292
feeling here,
and that's what
"Insecure" does best.
951
00:37:36,375 --> 00:37:38,125
Like, we bring people
into this neighborhood,
952
00:37:38,209 --> 00:37:39,626
and we show how live it is.
953
00:37:39,709 --> 00:37:42,083
It's not just
the Hollywood Hills
or Sunset Boulevard.
954
00:37:42,167 --> 00:37:44,542
It's like,
"Yo, Inglewood, Leimert Park.
955
00:37:44,626 --> 00:37:46,125
We got stuff here, too."
956
00:37:48,083 --> 00:37:49,500
Alex Burns:
Three weeks ago,
957
00:37:49,584 --> 00:37:51,000
we were shootin' down
in Manhattan Beach,
958
00:37:51,083 --> 00:37:53,542
and I happened to go down
this street called Hyde Park,
959
00:37:53,626 --> 00:37:56,417
where The Dunes
apartment is located,
960
00:37:56,500 --> 00:37:59,626
and, literally, there was
three families takin' photos,
961
00:37:59,709 --> 00:38:03,000
and we shot The Dunes
like season two or three,
962
00:38:03,083 --> 00:38:04,584
and people are still
963
00:38:04,667 --> 00:38:08,292
goin' to The Dunes,
takin' photos of "Insecure."
964
00:38:08,375 --> 00:38:13,167
So, it has proven to be
a lot of positivity,
965
00:38:13,250 --> 00:38:15,709
acceptance from this show.
966
00:38:15,792 --> 00:38:18,834
I'm extremely proud of Issa,
extremely proud.
967
00:38:18,918 --> 00:38:21,334
It's wild to me
that The Dunes is
a cultural landmark,
968
00:38:21,417 --> 00:38:24,709
just 'cause you don't
think about those things
when you're filming.
969
00:38:24,792 --> 00:38:27,167
We moved out of those
apartments by season two.
970
00:38:27,250 --> 00:38:30,500
I get tagged at least
three or four times a day,
and people in pictures,
971
00:38:30,584 --> 00:38:32,042
and I think it's
the dopest thing ever.
972
00:38:32,125 --> 00:38:34,292
They treat it like
the Hollywood Sign.
973
00:38:35,959 --> 00:38:37,626
You know,
when "Insecure" started,
974
00:38:37,709 --> 00:38:39,334
I would say it was
like pulling teeth
975
00:38:39,417 --> 00:38:41,834
because we were
really dead set on
976
00:38:41,918 --> 00:38:43,959
creating a certain
authentic look to the show
977
00:38:44,042 --> 00:38:46,959
that we realized,
workin' with older people
in this industry
978
00:38:47,042 --> 00:38:50,834
who had been very
seasoned vets in their jobs,
weren't really used to.
979
00:38:50,918 --> 00:38:52,584
We were askin' them
to go to neighborhoods
980
00:38:52,667 --> 00:38:54,334
that other shows
didn't film in.
981
00:38:54,417 --> 00:38:56,417
We were askin'
them to show us
982
00:38:56,500 --> 00:38:59,417
locations that they
never even thought
about being filmed at.
983
00:38:59,500 --> 00:39:00,751
We fought really hard for that.
984
00:39:00,834 --> 00:39:04,667
It's really refreshing
being able to show new places,
985
00:39:04,751 --> 00:39:08,709
whether it's neighborhoods,
or businesses on television.
986
00:39:08,792 --> 00:39:11,083
It's a little different
in South LA than other places.
987
00:39:11,167 --> 00:39:12,959
It's different protocols
you have to go by.
988
00:39:13,042 --> 00:39:14,417
You go into
certain neighborhoods,
989
00:39:14,500 --> 00:39:17,542
it's the hood logistics
that needs to be dealt with.
990
00:39:17,626 --> 00:39:19,959
You have to have
somebody that knows
the politics of Leimert Park
991
00:39:20,042 --> 00:39:21,542
in order to go
in there and just film.
992
00:39:21,626 --> 00:39:23,334
Everybody knows Issa,
everybody loves Issa.
993
00:39:23,417 --> 00:39:25,584
She employs a lot
of Black people
in the community.
994
00:39:25,667 --> 00:39:29,334
She puts a spotlight
on a lot of communities
that other TV shows don't.
995
00:39:29,417 --> 00:39:31,250
We got to see
the wonderful people
996
00:39:31,334 --> 00:39:32,959
who live and make
this community work,
997
00:39:33,042 --> 00:39:36,709
and all of the great cultural
things that it has to offer.
998
00:39:36,792 --> 00:39:38,334
Kira Talise:
I grew up on Normandie
and Florence,
999
00:39:38,417 --> 00:39:40,417
so for anyone who's
outside of L.A.,
1000
00:39:40,500 --> 00:39:41,792
the only reason why they
know my neighborhood is
1001
00:39:41,876 --> 00:39:44,167
because that's where
the riots started in the '90s.
1002
00:39:44,250 --> 00:39:46,626
That's not the best
representation of
1003
00:39:46,709 --> 00:39:48,209
the city of Los Angeles,
but it is what it is.
1004
00:39:48,292 --> 00:39:50,792
I rep my city pretty hard,
and it just feels really good
1005
00:39:50,876 --> 00:39:53,918
to see the L.A. that we
know and love represented,
1006
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,000
as opposed to the one
that Hollywood, typically,
portrays for us.
1007
00:39:57,083 --> 00:39:59,459
Everywhere we shoot
is my stomping ground.
1008
00:39:59,542 --> 00:40:01,334
When we were
in the Baldwin Hills Plaza,
1009
00:40:01,417 --> 00:40:03,500
people that I grew up with
is our security.
1010
00:40:03,584 --> 00:40:05,667
To be able to work,
and see my friends,
1011
00:40:05,751 --> 00:40:08,626
and they see me
doing this, it--
1012
00:40:08,709 --> 00:40:11,417
Look at my smile.
You know what I mean?
It's really dope.
1013
00:40:11,500 --> 00:40:14,751
I love the Thug Yoda
representation because
it's humanizing
1014
00:40:14,834 --> 00:40:17,167
somebody who's
quote unquote "blood"
from our neighborhood.
1015
00:40:17,250 --> 00:40:20,292
-Me and Nala was just about
to go watch the Bear Bears.
-"Care Bears," Daddy.
1016
00:40:20,375 --> 00:40:21,792
Chris Sanford:
You have these
type of relationships
1017
00:40:21,876 --> 00:40:23,334
with these people,
and it's a very
1018
00:40:23,417 --> 00:40:25,042
accurate description
because it represents
1019
00:40:25,125 --> 00:40:26,334
the side that's not shown.
1020
00:40:26,417 --> 00:40:28,000
Thug Yoda was based
off of someone
1021
00:40:28,083 --> 00:40:30,000
I had seen at
the post office when--
1022
00:40:30,083 --> 00:40:32,918
in Inglewood when I was
tryna drop my mail off.
1023
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:34,876
Super, super hood post office.
1024
00:40:34,959 --> 00:40:36,834
And it was this dude
on the phone in a wifebeater
1025
00:40:36,918 --> 00:40:39,500
with his daughter in his arm
just cussin', like...
1026
00:40:39,584 --> 00:40:42,459
like, "Yeah, nigga.
Don't, don't, don't
fuckin' play me, my guy."
1027
00:40:42,542 --> 00:40:44,292
And he would be like,
"You good, baby girl?
You good?"
1028
00:40:44,375 --> 00:40:47,542
"All right, yeah, so..."
and I was like,
"This is a character."
1029
00:40:47,626 --> 00:40:50,125
I'm goin' to
the Crenshaw Mall.
1030
00:40:50,209 --> 00:40:53,334
Both:
Oh shit!
1031
00:40:53,417 --> 00:40:56,167
So glad when I see
a cafe that I go to,
1032
00:40:56,250 --> 00:40:59,209
or a barber shop
that my son goes to
1033
00:40:59,292 --> 00:41:01,500
on my street on, on HBO,
1034
00:41:01,584 --> 00:41:04,000
and with a whole bunch
of white people watchin'.
1035
00:41:04,083 --> 00:41:07,125
But just, you know, let's not
continue all the gentrification.
1036
00:41:07,209 --> 00:41:09,626
South L.A. is wonderful,
but if maybe you wanna
stay in another neighborhood,
1037
00:41:09,709 --> 00:41:10,918
that's also fine.
1038
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:12,751
I don't know why I told
you about this neighborhood
1039
00:41:12,834 --> 00:41:15,709
because y'all take everything.
Can we have anything? Leave!
1040
00:41:15,792 --> 00:41:17,626
I've been blamed
for gentrification.
1041
00:41:17,709 --> 00:41:19,542
The show has been blamed
for gentrification.
1042
00:41:19,626 --> 00:41:21,709
Somethin' went
L.A. viral on Twitter
1043
00:41:21,792 --> 00:41:23,000
where this girl posted,
1044
00:41:23,083 --> 00:41:24,375
"I went to Worldwide Tacos.
1045
00:41:24,459 --> 00:41:26,667
"It was a four-hour wait
and I got the tacos,
1046
00:41:26,751 --> 00:41:27,959
and I didn't like it."
1047
00:41:28,042 --> 00:41:29,459
And she misquoted
1048
00:41:29,542 --> 00:41:31,792
Worldwide Tacos as
being in Inglewood,
1049
00:41:31,876 --> 00:41:34,000
so people were like,
"Bitch, you don't even know
what you talkin' about.
1050
00:41:34,083 --> 00:41:36,042
"Take your ass home.
That's why you
watchin' the show.
1051
00:41:36,125 --> 00:41:37,459
"This is Issa's fault.
1052
00:41:37,542 --> 00:41:40,792
Like, didn't nobody tell you
to review these tacos anyway."
1053
00:41:40,876 --> 00:41:44,334
And I was like,
"Damn, like, that's the..."
1054
00:41:44,417 --> 00:41:47,250
it's the beauty
and the blessin' of, like,
exposin' these businesses,
1055
00:41:47,334 --> 00:41:52,292
but then, residents and locals
being mad that people
are coming in here...
1056
00:41:52,375 --> 00:41:55,083
being overly familiar
with these places
1057
00:41:55,167 --> 00:41:56,584
that are so dear to us.
1058
00:41:56,667 --> 00:42:00,542
("Feng Shui" by Jidenna playing)
1059
00:42:02,500 --> 00:42:04,626
♪ Talk down,
niggas call it luck ♪
1060
00:42:06,292 --> 00:42:08,626
♪ Rubber band,
baby wanna fuck ♪
1061
00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:12,292
♪ I been doing well,
up andup ♪
1062
00:42:13,792 --> 00:42:15,375
♪ Caught'em in aspell,
fuck you up ♪
1063
00:42:15,459 --> 00:42:18,000
Issa:
We had a night shoot
on Saturday...
1064
00:42:18,083 --> 00:42:20,125
which means, you know,
I got called at 6:00 PM,
1065
00:42:20,209 --> 00:42:22,751
and we didn't finish until--
1066
00:42:22,834 --> 00:42:24,918
5:50, we were in the van
going back to set.
1067
00:42:25,042 --> 00:42:29,125
6:05, I was on my way home.
1068
00:42:29,209 --> 00:42:32,667
And then... here we are.
Today is Monday,
1069
00:42:32,751 --> 00:42:35,792
and I got picked up
at 3:54 AM to come here.
1070
00:42:35,876 --> 00:42:37,834
-Tristen J. Winger:
It's Wednesday.
-"Hi, I'm Issa Rae.
1071
00:42:37,918 --> 00:42:40,709
Life is so hard.
Oh my god.
I didn't have a--"
1072
00:42:40,792 --> 00:42:42,959
She didn't work on Saturday.
She didn't work on Saturday.
1073
00:42:43,042 --> 00:42:46,250
She was getting a massage,
posting shirtless pictures
of her doctor.
1074
00:42:46,334 --> 00:42:48,417
-That's what she was doin'.
-Sounds like hatred.
1075
00:42:48,500 --> 00:42:50,667
Sounds like someone's
mad at my life.
1076
00:42:50,751 --> 00:42:53,792
"But I'm just Issa Rae.
I own everything, boo-hoo."
1077
00:42:53,876 --> 00:42:58,083
-(all laughing)
-Why you have to laugh?
1078
00:42:58,167 --> 00:43:01,250
-Laughin' that hard
in the background.
-(indistinct chatter)
1079
00:43:01,334 --> 00:43:04,292
-(mocking laughter)
-(chatter continues)
1080
00:43:04,375 --> 00:43:06,834
Kendrick: You know
you gotta make it worse.
1081
00:43:08,667 --> 00:43:12,250
-What happened to you?
-Yvonne: He's so bad.
1082
00:43:12,334 --> 00:43:14,167
Kendrick:
"I own everything."
1083
00:43:14,250 --> 00:43:16,417
(indistinct chatter, laughter)
1084
00:43:19,167 --> 00:43:22,834
(James speaking)
1085
00:43:22,918 --> 00:43:23,918
It did.
1086
00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:25,375
(James speaking)
1087
00:43:25,459 --> 00:43:27,334
Good, it's out there.
You know, we can retweak--
1088
00:43:27,417 --> 00:43:29,125
We're gonna keep retweaking it.
1089
00:43:29,209 --> 00:43:33,000
You can ask Kira,
our script coordinator,
but I hit her up.
1090
00:43:33,083 --> 00:43:36,584
I finished it on Saturday...
1091
00:43:36,667 --> 00:43:38,876
and then, was like,
"Cool, bet. We'll send
it out in the morning."
1092
00:43:38,959 --> 00:43:41,459
And then, I dreamt about it,
and I was like, "Oh fuck,
I want change something."
1093
00:43:41,542 --> 00:43:42,959
I was like,
"Kira, did you send it?"
She was like,
1094
00:43:43,042 --> 00:43:45,292
"I sent it,
but I can recall it."
1095
00:43:45,375 --> 00:43:48,751
And so, I made another change,
and then, had another idea.
1096
00:43:48,834 --> 00:43:50,042
I was like,
"Kira, did you send it?"
1097
00:43:50,125 --> 00:43:51,876
And she was like,
"I was just about to press send.
1098
00:43:51,959 --> 00:43:53,209
I can send it back."
1099
00:43:53,292 --> 00:43:54,334
And then,
I read something else--
1100
00:43:54,417 --> 00:43:55,959
Like, like,
literally, three times
1101
00:43:56,042 --> 00:43:58,375
just 'cause I was like,
this is the cast
and crew seeing it,
1102
00:43:58,459 --> 00:44:02,334
and I, I want the first
impression to at least be--
1103
00:44:02,417 --> 00:44:04,709
Like, we know that we're
gonna continue to work on this,
1104
00:44:04,792 --> 00:44:06,709
but, like, I still
feel confident in it.
1105
00:44:06,792 --> 00:44:08,667
And when I think about,
1106
00:44:08,751 --> 00:44:10,500
you know, actors who
have dedicated five years
1107
00:44:10,584 --> 00:44:13,375
of their lives to this show,
and crew members,
1108
00:44:13,459 --> 00:44:16,667
if it just ends with a,
"Aw, man, that's it?"
1109
00:44:16,751 --> 00:44:18,500
Like, I don't want
that feeling of,
1110
00:44:18,584 --> 00:44:21,042
"I dedicated my life
for five years. This is it?"
1111
00:44:21,125 --> 00:44:23,709
So, I just wanted to make sure
that it was all represented,
1112
00:44:23,792 --> 00:44:26,667
um, and I'm excited that we
get to do a table read for it,
1113
00:44:26,751 --> 00:44:29,459
but it feels like a weight has
been lifted off my shoulders.
1114
00:44:29,542 --> 00:44:34,584
("Cold War" by
Cautious Clay playing)
1115
00:44:34,667 --> 00:44:37,417
Amy Aniobi:
"Issa sighs as Quoia opens
the door wide to Crenshawn's
1116
00:44:37,500 --> 00:44:38,834
"warehouse main room.
1117
00:44:38,918 --> 00:44:40,918
It's completely dark.
Issa steps inside."
1118
00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:43,667
Quoia, why is it so dark?
You got a night plumber?
1119
00:44:43,751 --> 00:44:46,083
Amy Aniobi:
She flips on a switch and...
1120
00:44:46,167 --> 00:44:47,918
Cast:
Surprise!
1121
00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:49,250
Amy Aniobi:
It's Issa's 33rd birthday,
1122
00:44:49,334 --> 00:44:51,083
and they're all gathered
to celebrate her.
1123
00:44:51,167 --> 00:44:53,000
(indistinct chatter)
1124
00:44:53,083 --> 00:44:55,459
("Black Truck"
by Mereba playing)
1125
00:44:55,542 --> 00:44:58,209
♪ Ooh... ♪
1126
00:45:00,209 --> 00:45:03,292
(laughs)
1127
00:45:03,375 --> 00:45:05,792
With this show, I'm most proud
of the doors that it's opened.
1128
00:45:05,876 --> 00:45:08,876
It's showing Black
people's humanity and
1129
00:45:08,959 --> 00:45:11,417
regular-ness during a time when
1130
00:45:11,500 --> 00:45:15,042
that wasn't the focus
for anything else
on television.
1131
00:45:15,125 --> 00:45:20,125
And opening doors for so much
other talent behind the scenes,
1132
00:45:20,209 --> 00:45:21,167
in front of the camera.
1133
00:45:21,250 --> 00:45:22,834
I think that's what
we'll be known for
1134
00:45:22,918 --> 00:45:25,042
in the same way that,
you know, "Girlfriends" did,
1135
00:45:25,125 --> 00:45:29,292
and all these other
legendary shows that,
that came before us.
1136
00:45:29,375 --> 00:45:30,959
Thank you guys
so much for coming,
1137
00:45:31,042 --> 00:45:33,083
and making me look good
in front of my new client.
1138
00:45:33,167 --> 00:45:34,292
-No problem.
-We got you.
1139
00:45:34,375 --> 00:45:35,667
Let's take a photo.
1140
00:45:35,751 --> 00:45:37,125
You got it.
1141
00:45:38,375 --> 00:45:40,042
-(camera clicks)
-Now, let's do a fun one.
1142
00:45:40,125 --> 00:45:41,751
-Nah.
-Nah, we're good.
1143
00:45:41,834 --> 00:45:43,334
Like, I love that
I got to play Tiffany.
1144
00:45:43,417 --> 00:45:45,167
I think
in the beginning,
it was more
1145
00:45:45,250 --> 00:45:47,500
a trope of like
the bougie, light skin, AKA.
1146
00:45:47,584 --> 00:45:49,083
Where's Tiffany?
Is she mad at me?!
1147
00:45:49,167 --> 00:45:51,167
-I don't know.
She hide in the closet.
-Tiffany: Yes, I know
1148
00:45:51,250 --> 00:45:53,125
he's our little weed baby.
1149
00:45:53,209 --> 00:45:55,542
(Tiffany cries)
1150
00:45:55,626 --> 00:45:58,500
But I just wanna
be home with you.
1151
00:45:58,584 --> 00:46:01,292
And we really got to see her
1152
00:46:01,375 --> 00:46:03,792
develop into a mom,
1153
00:46:03,876 --> 00:46:06,334
into a more
compassionate friend,
1154
00:46:06,417 --> 00:46:08,167
into, like,
the truth-teller
of the gang.
1155
00:46:08,250 --> 00:46:11,751
We're all doing great things.
Look at you getting fit.
Look at Kelli.
1156
00:46:11,834 --> 00:46:14,834
Look at Molly,
taking interviews,
taking names.
1157
00:46:14,918 --> 00:46:17,417
Look at Issa... hmm.
1158
00:46:17,500 --> 00:46:20,042
I feel like people
have come to see Tiffany
1159
00:46:20,125 --> 00:46:23,125
as part of this legacy of
1160
00:46:23,209 --> 00:46:25,250
bougie Black women in television
1161
00:46:25,334 --> 00:46:28,792
from Hilary Banks
to Whitley Gilbert,
1162
00:46:28,876 --> 00:46:31,209
and so, like, to be
in the company of that
1163
00:46:31,292 --> 00:46:34,584
within the African-American
cultural canon is just like
1164
00:46:34,667 --> 00:46:35,751
a dream.
1165
00:46:37,125 --> 00:46:38,542
Melina: All right.
Let's do it, everybody.
1166
00:46:38,626 --> 00:46:39,709
Picture's up.
1167
00:46:43,334 --> 00:46:46,375
(indistinct chatter)
1168
00:46:50,876 --> 00:46:53,334
-Prentice: Good, cut.
-Speaker: It is time to say...
1169
00:46:53,417 --> 00:46:58,125
series wrap on...
Natasha Rothwell.
1170
00:46:58,209 --> 00:47:01,334
(cheering and applause)
1171
00:47:05,167 --> 00:47:07,000
Natasha Rothwell:
I remember when
I first got the show,
1172
00:47:07,083 --> 00:47:08,459
and I was just like,
"I don't know if
1173
00:47:08,542 --> 00:47:10,667
Issa's made a huge mistake,
or if I can do this."
1174
00:47:10,751 --> 00:47:12,626
It's very vulnerable
for me to say,
1175
00:47:12,709 --> 00:47:14,042
but it's just true.
1176
00:47:14,125 --> 00:47:16,000
What the show has taught
me over six years
1177
00:47:16,083 --> 00:47:19,083
is that you can grow
into those positions,
1178
00:47:19,167 --> 00:47:21,542
and into those--
You know, to meet
those expectations,
1179
00:47:21,626 --> 00:47:23,250
and that we're only
limiting ourselves
1180
00:47:23,334 --> 00:47:25,626
when we don't, sort of,
take those risks and chances,
1181
00:47:25,709 --> 00:47:28,000
and have the courage
to just try.
1182
00:47:28,083 --> 00:47:31,125
And I think that, again,
it's about visibility, right,
1183
00:47:31,209 --> 00:47:35,709
and not one singular
Black female voice.
1184
00:47:35,792 --> 00:47:37,459
And yet,
Issa's voice is singular,
1185
00:47:37,542 --> 00:47:40,542
and I think I'm excited
for... disruption,
1186
00:47:40,626 --> 00:47:43,292
shaking the table,
and infusing the culture
1187
00:47:43,375 --> 00:47:46,334
of Hollywood with more
Black female voices.
1188
00:47:46,417 --> 00:47:49,042
Amy Aniobi:
"Now we are inside
of an international hotel.
1189
00:47:49,125 --> 00:47:51,375
"We're at a poppin' ass party.
Everyone's dressed to the nines,
1190
00:47:51,459 --> 00:47:53,542
drinking and mingling as
the DJ hypes the crowd."
1191
00:47:53,626 --> 00:47:55,876
(indistinct chatter)
1192
00:47:58,876 --> 00:48:00,000
(laughs)
1193
00:48:02,542 --> 00:48:04,834
At a certain point,
I'll crane back out,
but we're craning in.
1194
00:48:04,918 --> 00:48:06,959
-So, it'll just be super loose,
and then--
-Yvonne: Okay.
1195
00:48:07,042 --> 00:48:09,334
That's just what the scene is.
It'll be like getting
in on steadicam.
1196
00:48:09,417 --> 00:48:11,125
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-Like, coming behind you guys.
1197
00:48:11,209 --> 00:48:12,334
All right, let's make a wedding.
1198
00:48:12,417 --> 00:48:14,417
(cheering and applause)
1199
00:48:17,709 --> 00:48:19,083
Smile, Leonard, yeah.
1200
00:48:19,167 --> 00:48:23,709
Just listen to me-- Don't--
Just smile. Smile at her.
1201
00:48:23,792 --> 00:48:28,125
Molly has really been
a delicious character
to embody.
1202
00:48:28,209 --> 00:48:31,250
She has taught me things.
I think I've taught
her some things,
1203
00:48:31,334 --> 00:48:33,083
though these
are writers' words,
1204
00:48:33,167 --> 00:48:35,542
but I would like
to think that I brought
1205
00:48:35,626 --> 00:48:37,584
my growth
and my healing to her,
1206
00:48:37,667 --> 00:48:40,125
but she also brought her growth
and her healing to me.
1207
00:48:40,209 --> 00:48:43,792
By the time we get
to the end of season five,
1208
00:48:43,876 --> 00:48:46,918
it's just like...
she found herself.
1209
00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:49,500
Prentice:
And... cue Jay.
1210
00:48:49,584 --> 00:48:51,375
Jay:
I don't think
I've ever thought about
1211
00:48:51,459 --> 00:48:53,167
where Lawrence's
story should go
1212
00:48:53,250 --> 00:48:55,167
as we've gone
from season to season.
1213
00:48:55,250 --> 00:48:57,584
In my mind, it was always like,
"Yo, I'm here for Issa's story."
1214
00:48:57,667 --> 00:49:01,500
So, whatever Issa wants
at the end of the day
is, like, what I wanna do.
1215
00:49:01,584 --> 00:49:03,459
And being able to bring...
1216
00:49:03,542 --> 00:49:07,792
Lawrence's journey
full circle from who he was
in the beginning,
1217
00:49:07,876 --> 00:49:11,000
from a dude sittin'
on the couch,
crippled in fear,
1218
00:49:11,083 --> 00:49:12,542
who couldn't take
care of himself,
1219
00:49:12,626 --> 00:49:14,792
much less take care
of anyone else.
1220
00:49:14,876 --> 00:49:18,209
To see him come full circle,
to being a father,
1221
00:49:18,292 --> 00:49:20,042
going after what he wants,
1222
00:49:20,125 --> 00:49:22,500
being okay with just who he is,
1223
00:49:22,584 --> 00:49:24,959
and, like, knowin' that
I have figured myself out,
1224
00:49:25,042 --> 00:49:28,918
and this is the type
of relationship that
I want in my life.
1225
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:31,834
And it's crazy 'cause
it just feels so real.
1226
00:49:31,918 --> 00:49:34,751
Speaker:
We have to wrap
up this day with
1227
00:49:34,834 --> 00:49:38,709
the very multifaceted,
emotional news
1228
00:49:38,792 --> 00:49:45,167
that this is an "Insecure"
series wrap on Jay Ellis.
1229
00:49:45,250 --> 00:49:48,292
(cheering and applause)
1230
00:49:51,959 --> 00:49:53,918
Jay: You know,
now that we're done...
1231
00:49:55,083 --> 00:49:57,167
it's the people, man.
1232
00:49:58,834 --> 00:50:01,292
(indistinct chatter)
1233
00:50:02,459 --> 00:50:04,167
Nigga, we did it.
1234
00:50:04,250 --> 00:50:05,334
Nigga, that shit.
1235
00:50:05,417 --> 00:50:08,083
(all laughing)
1236
00:50:08,167 --> 00:50:09,417
He did it.
1237
00:50:09,500 --> 00:50:12,667
You still got--
Y'all still got somethin' to do.
1238
00:50:12,751 --> 00:50:15,417
It's really rare to go
to work every day...
1239
00:50:16,542 --> 00:50:17,667
and love...
1240
00:50:19,250 --> 00:50:20,667
not only the work...
1241
00:50:21,709 --> 00:50:23,292
but, like...
1242
00:50:23,375 --> 00:50:24,667
the people that you're with,
1243
00:50:24,751 --> 00:50:26,834
and for all of us...
1244
00:50:26,918 --> 00:50:28,626
to walk out of this show
six years later,
1245
00:50:28,709 --> 00:50:30,334
and still love each other?
1246
00:50:32,959 --> 00:50:35,500
It's all you could dream for.
Like, it's all you could--
1247
00:50:36,292 --> 00:50:37,417
Thank you.
1248
00:50:37,500 --> 00:50:39,334
It's all, uh...
1249
00:50:41,667 --> 00:50:43,542
It's all you could
dream for in a show.
1250
00:50:43,626 --> 00:50:44,876
...more wrap gifts, man.
1251
00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:47,542
It's the Black Santa.
You know what I'm sayin'?
Boom.
1252
00:50:47,626 --> 00:50:51,417
I'mma miss every single person
we've had on our production,
1253
00:50:51,500 --> 00:50:55,042
from sound to camera and Issa.
1254
00:50:55,626 --> 00:50:56,709
Um...
1255
00:50:58,834 --> 00:51:00,500
and Issa.
1256
00:51:00,584 --> 00:51:02,918
It is very rare to have...
1257
00:51:05,209 --> 00:51:08,250
the creator of your show
also be your co-star,
1258
00:51:08,334 --> 00:51:09,792
also be your biggest champion,
1259
00:51:09,876 --> 00:51:11,918
and I'mma miss
the shit out of that.
1260
00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:13,667
Amy Aniobi:
"We're in the hotel room.
The party's over.
1261
00:51:13,751 --> 00:51:15,626
"Issa helps Molly take
her wedding dress off.
1262
00:51:15,709 --> 00:51:18,417
"As Issa unzips and unclips
the complicated dress,
1263
00:51:18,500 --> 00:51:20,042
and Molly sways, still tipsy."
1264
00:51:20,125 --> 00:51:23,417
Okay, just one more row.
How you feelin', girl?
1265
00:51:23,500 --> 00:51:29,292
Happy.
Like really, really,
really happy.
1266
00:51:29,375 --> 00:51:33,667
(sighs)
As long as you're around,
I'mma be okay.
1267
00:51:33,751 --> 00:51:35,375
Yeah.
1268
00:51:38,125 --> 00:51:39,375
Me too.
1269
00:51:41,125 --> 00:51:44,375
-I love you.
-I love you, too.
1270
00:51:46,083 --> 00:51:48,125
And, uh, cut.
1271
00:51:48,209 --> 00:51:50,083
Speaker:
All right, let's cut.
Let's keep it quiet, yeah?
1272
00:51:50,167 --> 00:51:51,792
-And that's it.
-(bells rings)
1273
00:51:51,876 --> 00:51:53,209
Speaker:
All right, everybody.
1274
00:51:53,292 --> 00:51:55,292
Bring up the house lights,
and come on out here.
1275
00:51:55,375 --> 00:51:59,292
I'm gonna stay lyin'
or I'm gonna start cryin'.
Let's go. Come out here.
1276
00:52:02,334 --> 00:52:04,918
Oh no.
1277
00:52:06,709 --> 00:52:09,542
This is a series wrap--
Damnit.
1278
00:52:09,626 --> 00:52:12,834
This is series wrap
on Yvonne Orji.
1279
00:52:12,918 --> 00:52:15,375
(applause)
1280
00:52:21,459 --> 00:52:23,500
Man, thank you all so mu--
1281
00:52:23,584 --> 00:52:27,542
Come on, man... um, for real,
thank you guys so much.
1282
00:52:27,626 --> 00:52:32,125
Issa, I owe
so much to you.
We all do.
1283
00:52:32,209 --> 00:52:35,751
I'm so grateful that I got
to rock with you by your side
1284
00:52:35,834 --> 00:52:38,667
as your number two
for six years.
1285
00:52:38,751 --> 00:52:41,626
You changed the heck
outta my life.
1286
00:52:41,709 --> 00:52:45,792
Everybody, cast, crew,
writers, Prentice...
1287
00:52:45,876 --> 00:52:47,167
I love the heck outta y'all.
1288
00:52:47,250 --> 00:52:50,042
Like, we did it.
We made a show.
1289
00:52:50,125 --> 00:52:54,500
The role that I'm most proud of
is not even really being Molly,
1290
00:52:54,584 --> 00:52:57,125
it's just being
able to serve you.
1291
00:52:57,209 --> 00:52:59,667
That's what I take
so much pride in.
1292
00:52:59,751 --> 00:53:01,959
I wanted to protect you
1293
00:53:02,042 --> 00:53:04,876
'cause you, literally,
were the head,
1294
00:53:04,959 --> 00:53:08,918
and I know that
heavy is the head
that wears the crown.
1295
00:53:09,000 --> 00:53:12,876
We did it.
We did it, yo!
We did it!
1296
00:53:12,959 --> 00:53:14,417
We always discussed in the room
1297
00:53:14,500 --> 00:53:16,876
that the true love story
of "Insecure" is Issa and Molly,
1298
00:53:16,959 --> 00:53:20,083
and we wanted to show that
you can get to a place, like,
1299
00:53:20,167 --> 00:53:23,375
not with every friend,
but in this friendship
at least,
1300
00:53:23,459 --> 00:53:26,209
that they were growing
at different paces,
1301
00:53:26,292 --> 00:53:29,626
and, eventually, lined up
and grew in sync again
by the end of the show,
1302
00:53:29,709 --> 00:53:32,375
that they really realized that,
"No, you're my person.
1303
00:53:32,459 --> 00:53:35,209
You're my friend...
for life."
1304
00:53:35,292 --> 00:53:38,000
This wasn't a friendship
for a reason or a season.
1305
00:53:38,083 --> 00:53:39,876
This is a friendship
for a lifetime.
1306
00:53:39,959 --> 00:53:43,292
We ain't shit
but some tricks.
Hello, what?
1307
00:53:43,375 --> 00:53:45,834
-Pick up the phone. Hello?
-Oh, you so stupid.
1308
00:53:45,918 --> 00:53:49,292
-(both laughing)
-Bottoms up.
1309
00:53:50,334 --> 00:53:51,959
This spiked?
1310
00:53:52,042 --> 00:53:53,000
I love you.
1311
00:53:55,584 --> 00:53:58,125
Speaker:
We are saying
goodbye and goodnight
1312
00:53:58,209 --> 00:54:00,125
and a series finale
to Prentice Penny.
1313
00:54:00,209 --> 00:54:03,334
(cheering and applause)
1314
00:54:07,375 --> 00:54:10,334
I don't know why
I still have this on.
I'm COVID tested.
1315
00:54:10,417 --> 00:54:12,125
Um...
1316
00:54:12,209 --> 00:54:16,334
When we met, I always felt
like if I was a young Issa,
1317
00:54:16,417 --> 00:54:19,417
how would I want my person,
a showrunner to be?
1318
00:54:19,500 --> 00:54:22,876
And, uh, I--
It was very important
for me that...
1319
00:54:22,959 --> 00:54:26,542
I walk away from this,
that you could always say,
1320
00:54:26,626 --> 00:54:29,542
"He helped me make the show
I wanted to make...
1321
00:54:29,626 --> 00:54:31,250
and he never got
in the way once."
1322
00:54:31,334 --> 00:54:34,083
And that was always
like my North Star.
1323
00:54:34,167 --> 00:54:38,292
And, you know, you realize,
sometimes, you're just a brick
in somebody else's story,
1324
00:54:38,375 --> 00:54:40,500
and you have a bigger
function to serve.
1325
00:54:40,584 --> 00:54:43,834
I would think about all
the times I was the only
Black writer in rooms,
1326
00:54:43,918 --> 00:54:48,542
and goin' through the things
I went through for 17 years,
good and bad,
1327
00:54:48,626 --> 00:54:50,959
I tried to pour...
1328
00:54:51,042 --> 00:54:55,459
all of what I knew,
everything I learned,
every skill set I had
1329
00:54:55,542 --> 00:54:57,375
was just to pour it into you,
1330
00:54:57,459 --> 00:55:02,375
and you have exceeded,
and have gone farther than
I could've dreamed for you.
1331
00:55:02,459 --> 00:55:05,626
And the beauty is
that you'll never know
those things that I saw,
1332
00:55:05,709 --> 00:55:10,334
you only create a new path,
and I will miss you...
1333
00:55:11,500 --> 00:55:14,709
so much.
I love you.
And, um...
1334
00:55:14,792 --> 00:55:17,167
yeah, I don't know.
I love you.
1335
00:55:17,250 --> 00:55:19,667
I love you so much.
Thank you.
1336
00:55:19,751 --> 00:55:22,834
(applause)
1337
00:55:22,918 --> 00:55:27,250
-What I'mma do without you now?
-You fine. You got 18 shows.
1338
00:55:27,334 --> 00:55:29,792
-You good.
-(all laughing)
1339
00:55:32,751 --> 00:55:37,042
(indistinct chatter)
1340
00:55:38,876 --> 00:55:41,918
Melina:
And... action.
1341
00:55:42,000 --> 00:55:44,500
Poor thing.
She went to bed at 4:00.
1342
00:55:44,584 --> 00:55:48,834
Had a 8:42 call time,
I just looked at it.
1343
00:55:48,918 --> 00:55:52,167
That's what happens when
you have your own show.
1344
00:55:53,500 --> 00:55:55,334
(laughter)
1345
00:55:55,417 --> 00:55:56,918
Speaker:
Go lie down, baby.
1346
00:55:57,000 --> 00:55:59,292
Anthony:
Y'all got her talent ready.
1347
00:56:02,542 --> 00:56:04,751
Melina:
I hope, in the future, that
1348
00:56:04,834 --> 00:56:08,042
people can take away from this,
that it was a classic.
1349
00:56:08,125 --> 00:56:13,250
I really feel like it
was a beautiful picture
of how we live now.
1350
00:56:13,334 --> 00:56:16,500
When you think back to our era,
you'll think back to "Insecure."
1351
00:56:16,584 --> 00:56:20,042
But I also hope that there's
so many other shows that
1352
00:56:20,125 --> 00:56:25,375
follow in our footsteps,
and really diversify
that landscape.
1353
00:56:27,542 --> 00:56:29,375
And that's a cut...
1354
00:56:29,459 --> 00:56:34,459
of the last shot of "Insecure,"
the HBO series.
1355
00:56:34,542 --> 00:56:37,959
Speaker:
That is... a series wrap
1356
00:56:38,042 --> 00:56:41,292
-on our queen, Issa Rae.
-Let's go!
1357
00:56:41,375 --> 00:56:47,250
You guys, I am just
incredibly humbled, blessed.
1358
00:56:47,334 --> 00:56:48,250
Uh...
1359
00:56:54,500 --> 00:56:57,292
but I'm just honored
to know a lot of you.
1360
00:56:59,417 --> 00:57:04,125
When I, when I
set out to do this--
Y'all know me.
1361
00:57:04,209 --> 00:57:06,167
I'm not, I'm not
the topmost talented person,
1362
00:57:06,250 --> 00:57:07,792
I'm not the funniest person.
1363
00:57:07,876 --> 00:57:10,542
I'm not... I'm not
1364
00:57:10,626 --> 00:57:13,834
-the, the best person--
-You're Issa Rae!
1365
00:57:13,918 --> 00:57:18,751
But, you know, you aspire
and you dream and you imagine,
1366
00:57:18,834 --> 00:57:22,083
and, and I never imagined
that I would get to work
1367
00:57:22,167 --> 00:57:25,876
with all of you...
in support of this,
1368
00:57:25,959 --> 00:57:28,626
and to meet so many
amazing, talented people.
1369
00:57:28,709 --> 00:57:31,709
I think about my loved ones,
1370
00:57:31,792 --> 00:57:34,918
uh, my brothers
and sisters in cast,
1371
00:57:35,000 --> 00:57:37,918
and how you guys
have elevated me,
1372
00:57:38,000 --> 00:57:40,542
how I've learned so much
from you along the way.
1373
00:57:40,626 --> 00:57:43,500
I've learned so much
about myself through you,
1374
00:57:43,584 --> 00:57:46,792
and am just so blessed
1375
00:57:46,876 --> 00:57:48,042
to, to be in your presence,
1376
00:57:48,125 --> 00:57:50,083
and to know that
I have family for life.
1377
00:57:50,167 --> 00:57:53,250
-That's a wrap!
-(cheering)
1378
00:57:53,334 --> 00:57:56,375
("Kinda Love" by
TeaMarrr playing)
1379
00:58:03,792 --> 00:58:05,709
Prentice:
When I look at other
shows growing up,
1380
00:58:05,792 --> 00:58:07,459
I had not seen a family
that looked like mine
1381
00:58:07,542 --> 00:58:10,000
in Black television till
I saw "Cosby," right?
1382
00:58:10,083 --> 00:58:11,626
So, when I look
at that show, I'm like,
1383
00:58:11,709 --> 00:58:13,334
that show inspired me
to think that, like,
1384
00:58:13,417 --> 00:58:16,292
my representation of life
can be on screen,
1385
00:58:16,375 --> 00:58:18,375
and it just made me
believe it was possible.
1386
00:58:18,459 --> 00:58:20,292
So, if I had
to distill it down,
1387
00:58:20,375 --> 00:58:23,083
I would hope that people
would watch "Insecure" and go,
1388
00:58:23,167 --> 00:58:25,000
"Oh, like, achieving
1389
00:58:25,083 --> 00:58:29,751
at a high level, creatively,
opportunity-wise is possible."
1390
00:58:29,834 --> 00:58:31,626
And, sometimes,
in this country,
1391
00:58:31,709 --> 00:58:35,209
you don't always get
to think that things that
look like you are possible.
1392
00:58:35,292 --> 00:58:37,751
So, that's what I would hope
the legacy behind it is,
1393
00:58:37,834 --> 00:58:41,918
whatever people need it to be,
to know that it's possible.
1394
00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:45,250
(cheering)
1395
00:58:47,959 --> 00:58:51,209
(laughing)
1396
00:58:51,292 --> 00:58:55,083
-How you feel to be done, baby?
-Baby, I'm tired, aight.
1397
00:58:55,167 --> 00:58:56,417
You too pretty, baby,
you too pretty.
1398
00:58:56,500 --> 00:58:59,042
I started this shit,
I poured out into this shit.
1399
00:58:59,125 --> 00:59:01,667
-We done, baby.
"Insecure," bitch!
-We done!
1400
00:59:01,751 --> 00:59:03,834
Yay!
1401
00:59:07,417 --> 00:59:11,375
-I love you.
-I love you. I love you.
1402
00:59:12,375 --> 00:59:14,000
Can we go eat?
1403
00:59:16,209 --> 00:59:18,751
All: Hey!
1404
00:59:18,834 --> 00:59:21,959
-The hardest-working people
in, in show business.
-We did it!
1405
00:59:22,042 --> 00:59:23,709
Yvonne:
Right here!
Right here!
1406
00:59:26,542 --> 00:59:29,250
-Love you, boo.
-I love you more.
1407
00:59:29,334 --> 00:59:32,167
I just wanna go down
as people's favorite show.
It's super simple.
1408
00:59:32,250 --> 00:59:36,584
Like, in the way that
I talk nostalgically about
the shows that shaped me,
1409
00:59:36,667 --> 00:59:38,876
that make me smile
when I think about them,
1410
00:59:38,959 --> 00:59:43,000
that I reflect on a specific
time in my life, happily.
1411
00:59:43,083 --> 00:59:45,250
Like, I want our show
to do the same for people.
1412
00:59:45,334 --> 00:59:49,459
I want them to think about
scenes and the first time
they watched something,
1413
00:59:49,542 --> 00:59:52,792
and imagine where
they were at the time
that they watched it,
1414
00:59:52,876 --> 00:59:54,083
where they were
in their lives.
1415
00:59:54,167 --> 00:59:57,000
I want it to be
a part of who they are.
1416
00:59:57,083 --> 00:59:58,334
That would make me happy.
1417
00:59:58,417 --> 01:00:00,500
("Kinda Love" continues)
1418
01:00:09,751 --> 01:00:13,709
♪ I want that won't creep,
won't sneak kinda love ♪
1419
01:00:13,792 --> 01:00:17,167
♪ That so deep,
I'm freak kinda love ♪
1420
01:00:17,250 --> 01:00:19,542
♪ That, ooh ♪
1421
01:00:19,626 --> 01:00:23,209
♪ Yeah, I want you ♪
1422
01:00:23,292 --> 01:00:26,500
♪ Can you give me
one good reason ♪
1423
01:00:26,584 --> 01:00:29,667
♪ Not to f...
with you like that ♪
1424
01:00:29,751 --> 01:00:33,083
♪ Can you give me
one good reason ♪
1425
01:00:33,167 --> 01:00:36,417
♪ Not to f...
with you like that ♪
1426
01:00:36,500 --> 01:00:39,792
♪ Can you give me
one good reason ♪
1427
01:00:39,876 --> 01:00:43,042
♪ Not to f...
with you like that ♪
1428
01:00:43,125 --> 01:00:49,667
♪ Can you give me one good,
one good, one good reason ♪
1429
01:00:49,751 --> 01:00:53,000
♪ Not to f... it
up like that, oh ♪
1430
01:00:53,083 --> 01:00:56,083
♪ No, no, no, no, no, no ♪
1431
01:00:56,167 --> 01:00:59,334
♪ Don't wanna f...
this up like that ♪
1432
01:01:03,584 --> 01:01:05,209
♪ You're the boom to the bang ♪
1433
01:01:05,292 --> 01:01:06,918
♪ When my front
side get close ♪
1434
01:01:07,000 --> 01:01:08,375
♪ When we bang
when we boom ♪
1435
01:01:08,459 --> 01:01:11,209
♪ What's the punchline
for (pop)... ♪