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( APPLAUSE )
WELCOME BACK!
TO "THE LATE SHOW."
FOLKS, MY GUEST TONIGHT IS THE CREATOR AND STAR OF THE EMMY
AWARD-WINNING SHOW "INSECURE," WHICH IS IN ITS FIFTH AND FINAL
SEASON.
>> IS THAT ME?
I FORGOT HOW CUTE I LOOKED WITH TWISTS.
>> NO, BUT THIS NEW LOOK IS WORKING FOR US, TOO.
>> YOU LIKE THIS?
>> WE GOT OUR BRACES OFF.
LET ME SEE THE FEET.
SHOW ME HOW YOU EAT!
ARE WE STUPID?
( LAUGHTER )
>> NO, IT'S OUR 10-YEAR REUNION, AND STANFORD ASKED ME TO SPEAK
ON A PANEL.
>> I KNEW WE'D BE A BIG DEAL!
YES!
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," ISSA RAE!
12340E9
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( APPLAUSE )
>> OH ( BLEEP )!
>> Stephen: IT'S LOVELY TO HAVE YOU BACK.
NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO.
IT'S LOVELY TO BE BACK.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AGAIN.
>> Stephen: IT'S A PLEASURE.
AND YOU'RE VERY BRAVE TO WEAR A DRESS LIKE THAT IN A ROOM THIS
COLD.
>> IT'S SO COLD.
I WASN'T GOING TO SAY ANYTHING.
THE AUDIENCE AT HOME DOESN'T KNOW HOW COLD IT IS.
>> Stephen: COLD COMEDY WEATHER.
HEY, WE HAVEN'T TALKED TO YOU SINCE BEFORE COVID.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE.
AND CONGRATULATIONS, BRIGHTEDLY, ARE IN ORDER BECAUSE SINCE THE
LAST TIME YOU AND I SPOKE, YOU GOT MARRIED.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY...
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
I DID NOT KNOW-- I DID NOT KNOW, BUT WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS IS
THAT NOBODY ANYHOW.
THIS IS HOW YOU ANNOUNCED IT RIGHT HERE, WITH THIS
PHOTOGRAPH, IMPROMPTU PHOTO SHOOT IN A CUSTOM VERA WANG
DRESS.
"MY GIRLS CAME TO HELP ME, BUT THEY COINCIDENTALLY HAD ON THE
SAME DRESS.
THEY WERE SO EMBARRASSED.
THEN I TOOK A FEW PICS WITH SOMEBODY'S HUSBAND.
DID THE GUESTS KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON?
OR WERE THERE GUESTS?
>> THE GUESTS KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
>> Stephen: DID YOUR HUSBAND KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON?
>> I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT GUY WAS.
HE WAS A GREAT SPORT.
YEAH, EVERYBODY KNEW WHAT IT WAS.
>> Stephen: THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT MARRIED AT THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL.
WHERE DID YOU GET MARRIED?
>> I HAD A PHOTO SHOOT IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE.
>> Stephen: WHAT!
>> IT WAS REALLY, REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
IT WAS NICE.
>> Stephen: AND YOU FIGURED WHILE I'M DOING A PHOTO SHOOT, I
MIGHT AS WELL GET MARRIED.
>> YEAH, GET HITCHED.
>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS.
SO HOW ARE YOU LIKING IT SO FAR?
>> NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED.
I'M STILL THE SAME PERSON.
BUT IT'S BEEN-- IT'S BEEN NICE.
I'M REALLY, REALLY HAPPY.
>> Stephen: I'M A FAN OF BEING MARRIED.
I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: IT'S WORKED OUT FOR ME.
>> I'M GLAD.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: THE FIFTH SEASON, THE FIFTH SEASON OF "INSECURE"
PREMIERES THIS SUNDAY.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND I KNOW MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WRITE AT YOU
ON INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER EVERY WEEK.
THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
I'M SURE THEY HAVE SUGGESTIONS.
>> OH, MY GOSH!
GLR IF WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN.
>> ALL THE TIME.
>> Stephen: PEOPLE ARE EMOTIONALLY INVESTED IN THE
SHOW.
HOW MUCH PRESSURE DOES THAT PUT ON YOU AS THE CREATOR OF THE
SHOW AND THE PRODUCER OF THE SHOW TO WRAP THINGS UP IN A WAY
THAT'S GOING TO SATISFY EVERYBODY ELSE?
>> OH, THE PRESSURE.
THIS WAS TERRIFYING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE, LIKE, YOU'RE
ENDING A SHOW, AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE THEIR OPINIONS.
>> Stephen: SURE.
YOU'VE DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB OF CARRYING THE SHOW.
IT'S LIKE THIS PRECIOUS THING THAT YOU'VE CARRY FORWARD FOUR
SEASONS NOW.
>> IT HAS BEEN.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T WANT TO DROP IT IN THE LAST--
>> YOU DON'T WANT TO DROP IT.
WE'RE ON HBO, WHICH YOU KNOW HAD ANOTHER VERY POPULAR FINALE.
>> Stephen: THAT PEOPLE PERHAPS FELT GOT DROPPED.
>> PEOPLE FELT STRONGLY ABOUT THAT.
AND PEOPLE COME UP TO ME LIKE, "GIRL, I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE
FINAL SEASON.
JUST DON'T 'GAME OF THRONES' IT.
BUT I WILL SAY A SHOUTOUT TO ONE OF OUR WRITERS BECAUSE WE HAD SO
MUCH PRESSURE, AND SHE WAS LIKE-- SHE WAS LIKE, "WE KEEP ON
TELLING OURSELVES TO LAND THE PLANE," AND THESE CHARACTERS
AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE AFTER THIS SHOW.
LIKE, THEY'RE GOING TO LIVE ON.
SO IT'S NOT THAT THE PLANE IS LANDING.
THEY'RE TAKING OFF AND WE'RE JUST JUMPING OUT.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE WROTE A SEASON SIX, AND THEY'LL FREED
US.
>> Stephen: THAT'S GREAT.
LIKE IN KARATE, THEY SAY PUNCH BEYOND THE BOARD.
>> OH, OKAY.
THAT'S WHAT SHE SHOULD HAVE SAID IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD IT BETTER.
WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT.
>> Stephen: I'M SORRY I'M NOT AVAILABLE TO WRITE ON YOUR SHOW.
I APOLOGIZE.
>> YOU'RE BUSY.
>> Stephen: YOUR CHARACTERS CAN DEE HAS CHANGED A LOT, SHE
CHANGED A LOT DURING THE FOUR SEASONS OF SHOW, AND SHE CHANGES
AGAIN I'M SURE, MORE GROWTH IN SEASON FIVE.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
THIS IS-- I DON'T KNOW IFIDE USE THE TERM "CINDERELLA STORY" BUT
THIS IS YOU COMING OUT OF THE BLOCKS WITH, LIKE A 9500.
PEOPLE WERE BLOWN AWAY.
THIS WAS THE FIRST SHOW YOU CREATED, RIGHT?
>> MY FIRST TV SHOW.
I CAME FROM THE INTERNET -- >> Stephen: I HEARD GOOD
THINGS OVER THERE.
>> THE INTERNET IS OKAY.
IT'S A LITTLE CRAZY.
>> Stephen: MAO HAVE YOU CHANGED?
HOW HAVE YOU GROWN IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS?
>> TO COME OUT AND BE UNCERTAIN AND HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO
MAKE A TV SHOW.
YOU KNOW, I WAS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, INSECURE.
AND NOW I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN FIVE TO SIX YEARS.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SOME AMAZING PEOPLE, SUPPORTIVE
PEOPLE, AND IT'S MADE ME MORE SECURE.
( LAUGHTER )
CONFIDENT IN MY PLACE HERE IN HOLLYWOOD.
AND I FEEL LIKE IN SOME WAYS I'M JUST GETTING STARTED.
AND I FEEL CAPABLE.
AND THIS SHOW-- I WOULD NOT FEEL CAPABLE WITHOUT THIS SHOW.
( APPLAUSE )
THIS IS SO POSITIVE.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
BUT DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE ISSA RAE.
STICK AROUND.
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