Source: Kevork Djansezian/NBC / Getty
In a recent interview with Complex, the Insecure creator opened up about diversity, of the lack thereof, in Hollywood and offered her best solution to the issue. When asked about a comment she made about “racist, old executives” needing to die for diversity to prosper, she told the mag, “I’m happy to report that we’re making progress. People are dying. Roger Ailes just died. He needed to go, it’s great. As time goes on, unfortunately, we won’t be able to take advantage of it like the younger generation, but it’s happening and I feel like there are people in positions of power who wouldn’t have had an opportunity in the past that have opportunities now and who have a firm vision and are intent on hiring the people who haven’t been hired in the past. I’m very optimistic on that. People die every day, so it’s great.”
Issa credited people like Prentice Penny and Melina Matsoukas for their vision and helping mold her series into what it is today. She even spoke about the struggle of hiring writers of color and giving them the opportunity to get their foot in the door, saying, “That’s the biggest catch-22 of the situation of just trying to work in Hollywood, trying to hire younger writers, trying to hire people who aren’t in the union and who aren’t experienced. They’ll never get those opportunities if they don’t get a chance, and some people get a chance and blow it. Okay, but at least they got one.”
With films like Girls Trip breaking box office numbers and shows like Insecure and Power winning on social media, things seem to be heading in a better direction.
See what else Issa had to say in the video above.
