Issa Rae Admits She Didn’t Think Her Body Was ‘Barbie Ready’

Recently, Issa Rae revealed that she didn’t feel like her body was “Barbie Ready”, despite the excitement surrounding the new Barbie movie.

In a recent interview with Glamour, the actress who portrayed President Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s production shared that she had “let herself go” after completing her work on “Insecure” and the latest season of “Rap Sh!t”. Despite being offered the role, she initially had reservations about accepting it.

“…I got the call to do Barbie and was like, ‘Oh, no, I am not Barbie-shape ready.’ But then I realized Greta’s Barbie world consists of all body types. So, while I was still on my fitness journey, I felt less insecure about my Barbie body or lack thereof,” she told Glamour.

Rae admitted she was worried about how the other Barbies in the movie were going to look. However, Rae applauded Gerwig for her efforts to make sure a wide range of body types and sizes were represented in Barbie Land.

“There were so many different types of Barbies, and so many different types of Kens. Some able-bodied, ages, genders. Greta did her best to try to include everybody. Barbie Land is perfect. Everyone in Barbie Land is a perfect Barbie. I found that so beautiful. Almost everyone in the world is represented in some way here,” Rae stated. “That’s not an easy piece. I’m sure someone might be like, “Where am I?” But know that there was such an effort made to have Barbie Land be inclusive,” she continued. 

Over time, Issa Rae has been open and vocal about her fitness journey and the strides she has made. In 2019, she had a conversation with Women’s Health magazine where she talked about the reasons why she chose her new life path and adopted a new routine. She said after seeing herself on the screen, it motivated her to lose weight.

“Time to work out is so limited, but when I first started seeing myself on TV, I was like, ‘I gotta make time,” she said.

However, she was honest to admit that stepping into a fitness routine was not a simple task. She talked about the excuses she would make for herself in order to avoid exercising and the reasons why she would do that.

“I was a big excuse person when it came to exercising and eating right. I’d have spurts of trying to work out and being good. Then once I fell off, I’d be like, ‘Well, there’s always next year. Let me make it my New Year’s resolution.’ But even then, I would still be eating wrong while exercising vigorously,” Rae told Women’s Health.

However, she became dedicated to having a Paleo-focused diet, which she credited for her ability to lose weight over time.

She explained that despite her busy schedule she squeezes in time to exercise daily around her neighborhood. “I exercise for, like, an hour each day. My neighborhood has a bunch of hills, so it’s walking up hills. Then I alternate between walking and jogging. I hate jogging—you’re going in circles, but I recognize that it helps,” Rae stated. Rae still remains vocal about the challenges she faces working out, but also applauds the strides she makes.

Rae’s openness about her fitness journey, including acknowledging moments where she may have “let herself go,” brings a refreshing level of honesty that is often absent in today’s weight loss and fitness culture. We applaud President Barbie for her willingness to be transparent about her experiences!