A wine down withInsecures OTP.
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It was always about Issa and Molly.
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What has it felt like to watch the final season unfold?
Issa Rae:I mean, its always exciting to watch with people.
And we did a screening in New York together.
And then, the online reaction is always just [Laughs.]
Can you speak on it?
IR:Its crazy!
And so youre telling a very specific story, but people feel like, This is my story!
This is our story, and you gotta do itthisway!
What about this part?
And its like, Im getting to that, just hold on.
But wait, what about this character?
You just left them out!
Theyre gonna come back!
Just shut up and let me tell this story!
And thats what it feels like to make a show and for Twitter to respond.
Yvonne Orji:Ive enjoyed watching the redemption story of Molly S. Carter.
It only took two episodes.
I was like, Twitter is a fake place that people go when they are hurt!
It only took one episode: Ah, Mollys good!
We like her again!
Shes always been a good friend!
I was like, What the hell?
All last year in the pandemic, I was slitting my wrists!
Tell me aboutstarting the season at Stanfordand deciding to reconcile and heal the wound.
Amy Aniobi, whos an exec on the show, and I went to Stanford together.
Did you ever consider a college other than Stanford?
I didnt want her to go to Stanford.
It was a props mistake.
Why would yall do that?
I didnt ask for this!
But nobody saw that!
But I think over time, we were just like, Okay, the characters went there.
But a lot of things were established back in season one, including Molly being in AKA.
What do you make of it being a thing now in season five?
Because they fucking up!
You know, its like that element.
And people do tend to pick this show apart.
I think thats also a hobby of watching the show: Lets see what they did wrongthisweek!
But its not everybody.
It was a small subset of people.
And I dont think that responding helped, so it amplified it in a way.
So you know, I think both sides are at fault here.
YO:But I think theyre still watching, so …
IR:I dont know.
They watched last week.
IR:Shoutout to AKAs!
YO:And the Divine Nine, all yall, because Lawrence is Kappa!
IR:No, hes not!
Who told you that?
YO:Im just joking.
YO:But you see, they didnt even come for us!
IR:They did not come for us.
YO:Omegas dont watch the show!
Issa, what are your memories of Yvonne getting cast at the very beginning of the show?
She was super funny to me, and I friended her on Facebook.
Were you in D.C. at the time, or were you in New York?
YO:I went to Liberia after that, friend, and then I was in New York.
YO:I was like,what?
IR:And I was like, Im having this party!
And she came, which is sketchy on her part.
I was a stranger.
YO:It was a wine down.
And I was like, This Issa Rae chick is really friendly!
She just followed me on Twitter!
IR:I had already decided we were friends, unbeknownst to you.
And 72 auditions later
YO:89 auditions later.
IR:She got the role.
YO:How many people did you see for Molly?
IR:We saw a lot of people for Molly.
So we were seeing various different versions of actresses.
So thats what it was.
Youre my best friend …
What was that memory from your side, Yvonne?
YO:Very similar.
The first audition was good because I was new.
And then I remember the note that Vicki Thomas, the casting director, gave for the second one.
She called, and was like, So, the producers have a note.
I was like, Okay, great.
I was like, Im sorry?
Just, you know, do less.
I asked her to expound three more times, and she did not deviate from that note.
She was like, You know, the hands, and just the do less.
So then I was like, Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.
Took a whole acting class to figure out how to do less.
And I walked out and I was like, Yo, fam!
I dont know who they looking for, but if its not me, the show is whack!
I think that was the one time I was ever confident in this whole process!
I dont even care!
Im gonna do my own show!
Before I did that trailer, I watched every trailer that came out on ABC that year.
I want to do a family show about immigrants from the continent.
IR:And to answer your question, no.
And I was like, I dont know who this Megan chick is!
I had never met.
And I was like, Are you serious?
you’re free to dance too!
So we had a moment.
It was all body parts.
I was rewatching the first episode, and your first conversation is the broken pussy conversation.
YO:[Sighs.]
Was that the first scene you shot together?
IR:No, the first thing we shot together was the car fight scene.
And so it was all on you.
YO:Meanwhile, I thought I was going to get recast!
IR:No, it was perfect!
I remember watching her do the scenes was just like Ah, yes, we did it right!
Its perfect, she looks so beautiful, shes so funny in this.
YO:Wait, no.
After, like, 85 seasons ofAwkward Black Girl, you were really still like
IR:Two seasons.
YO:It was like, one of the first days.
IR:No, the Merkato day is when you cried.
YO:I remember!
He was giving me notes and I didnt know how TV worked.
This was my first time.
Prentice was already in edit bay, and so he was like, Hey, can we try this?
And he was just like, Hey, can you come up this way?
Okay, now can you answer the call sad?
Okay, can you take the call like youre angry?
Okay, can you … and I was like, Which one do you want?
You know what Im saying?
He was so confused!
I just wanted to get options!
I need you to start the conversations with Youre doing great!
Youre gonna be a star!
Did you feel when you were making it,This is coming together?
IR:No, no.
I was too close to it.
Are they gonna recognize it?
Just the typical nerves.
But I didnt know.
I knew it looked better than I had imagined.
I knew Melina had killed it.
But I have imposter syndrome.
I didnt have full faith until the president emailed us that first night.
He got the cut, and it was something super dry, like, Youre onto something.
And I was like, Yes!
Yeah, you see it!
YO:Do you remember calling me after the pilot got picked up?
You were like, Hey, girl!
And I was like, Doing this with you?
What else was I gonna be doing?
I was like Wow, she shares.
Did you always know that one of the central relationships would be Issa and Molly?
IR:Without a doubt.
Thats what we came into it discussing.
And I think we stayed true to that.
YO:I love you.
IR: I love you too, baby!
YO:I didnt feel that!
YO:Okay, I felt that.
Because friendships are just as important as our romantic relationships, and they take work.
You have to put in the time.
IR:You absolutely have to put in the time.
And especially friendship breakups.
I mean, thats one of the things we discussed in the room.
So many of us aside from the men in the room.
I feel like men dont have real friendships
YO:They dont.
Because they be with dudes they knew since eighth grade!
We just dont talk!
YO:I hate em!
But the women in the room, weallhad examples of broken friendships we were bruised from.
Some had spoken to therapists about it.
It really, really fucking hurts.
How did your own relationship develop over the years doing the show?
IR:Shes become a sister to me in so many ways.
Shes the jot down of person to just have your back, to look out for you.
I just am not!
And youre always giving me advice.
It was all part of my plan.
Like, yes, Im considerate, but Im also like, ho, you changed my life!
You dont have to be more considerate than that!
I can get your water.
What I cant get is my mama a house, but you did that!
Its not apples to apples.
Because the reality is, Issa took a shot on so many people in season one.
And convincing the connection that was acceptable.
And now were all doing it in our own ways, but thats because thats your heart.
So, sure, youre not as considerate, waaaahhh … but like, youre fine.
IR:Thank you, girl.
Was it hard convincing the web connection to do that in the beginning?
IR:The web link came on board.
Initially, they wanted experience.
Having done this for several shows, they pitched directors who were bigger names, who were sexy.
You have to watch!
Who did you meet?
IR:Im not gonna do that!
But I will say, there was one big-name director who Im a huge fan of.
Okay, cool, great.
So they flew me out to meet him, and it just wasnt right, you know?
And then I saw him at a party in season two when the show was out.
And he was like, Yo!
I saw your show!
And I was like, Dope!
and he was like, I woulda fucked that shit up!
It was so validating.
YO:It sounds just like him!
Yvonne, was the tally fair?
IR:Before the internet commentary, was the tally fair?
YO:So, we actually watched season four together.
IR:Before the internet commentary, but okay.
YO:See, this is the reason why theres no longer a show.
YO:She was at, like, four.
YO:Ten strikes.
IR:Her and my real best friend were watching.
And I was like, Yall clearly biased!
IR:The parking spot, though?
The parking spot is honestly the only regret.
That is what did it.
YO:Shes just a bad driver.
Its not her fault.
Issa
IR:[To an audience member.]
It was Issas spot, I agree.
YO:Im sorry, I didnt know this was a call and response!
Are we in church?
Im sorry, is there an offering plate being passed around?
The problem is [Laughs.]
when we were shooting season four, I dont think anybody knew.
I was so oblivious: Oh, these are some good scripts.
Yeah, girl, friendships do be like that.
I just felt like we were just acting!
IR:And for us as writers, we were accumulating the entire show.
If you look at season one, Issa is a terrible fucking friend!
They cut those parts out.
YO:I read all of them.
I have Google Alerts on you.
This is the first time I have heard you say
IR:But its true, its true.
YO:Okay, now its true.
Where were you last season when I needed you?
IR:Doing interviews!
YO:[Singing.]
Haters, they gon hate.
Ballers, they gon ball.
Did the fan response surprise you during season four?
YO:I think it surprised me.
IR:She was very hurt, guys.
YO:Im still hurt, okay?
This is Issas infraction, this is Mollys.
And episode one, people were like, Oh, Molly is a motherfucking bitch!
Did yall hear that shit?
We were like, Oh, theyre catching on to what were doing already!
Thats crazy, but theyre going at it a little hard.
But were gonna get em back.
Episode two, they gonna see what Issa does
YO:And I was looking forward to it!
I put the meme out, like, Ha!
Wait till next week!
And next week they were like, Nah!
Do they see what Issa is doing?
YO:Listen, growing up, I was the snitch in the family, right?
And I was like, Wow!
These fans aint loyal.
I mean, it was a challenging season in my life.
But what it really was like was, Is it about to affect my money?
because my special was coming out.
And folks was like, Nah, theyre trying to throw the set!
Were not gonna watch this trash!
I was like, Wait a damn minute!
So … its fine.
We got through it.
Shooting the fight scenes, like the block party, was that hard?
I know its gonna be jokes all day.
Like, like the block party was fun to shoot.
The first day was us being cool, so it was okay.
You were the one who wanted to come at Issa.
But I also think about, like, season one, episode seven.
That was one of our first fight scenes, and that was weird to do.
Prentice had to tell us, Yall cant crack jokes in between.
YO:We didnt want to stay in character season one!
I was like, Its your fault because you girl, you want to go crash after this?
You need a snack?
IR:You good?
But yeah, by episode five I think, in season four, we really felt that tension.
YO:For me, theyre really hard, because Issa is lovable.
She is just love personified.
I remember season one, you were like, I wrote this.
I dont really want to be saying these things to you.
And then season four was hard because we werent shooting together at all, like, the whole season.
And then the one day where Im like, Hey, girl, I miss you!
she was like, Oh, I gotta hate you.
That was very difficult.
Its eighth grade all over again.
I hate you Taisha.
Nah, Im just joking wherever you are!
kindly, strike that name from the record!
