Actress Issa Rae shares that people on the street now refer to her as President Barbie

Actress and producer Issa Rae revealed that people on the street now affectionately refer to her as President Barbie following her role in Greta Gerwig’s successful summer blockbuster “Barbie.” During an appearance on The View, she expressed her surprise at the unexpected nickname, stating, “People will call me President Barbie when I’m just out on the street. I didn’t know how much that would mean to me. I’m like, ‘Oh, salute, yes!'”

Reflecting on the film’s success, Rae acknowledged the challenges faced by the cast due to an actors’ strike, which hindered them from fully promoting the movie. Nevertheless, she expressed pride in being part of the project and commended Gerwig and co-producer Margot Robbie, saying, “We didn’t really get to celebrate the success, and I’m so honored to be a part of it, I’m so proud of Greta Gerwig and [star and co-producer] Margot Robbie.”

In a People magazine special issue published before the actors’ strike, Rae opened up about her childhood connection with Barbie dolls, describing them as her means of playing and storytelling. She emphasized that Barbies served as a form of early sex education for her. “As a kid I just wanted to play and tell stories and make them kiss. They were my opportunity to play God — Barbies were the Sims for me before I played the Sims.”

Rae also discussed the awareness she had as a child regarding societal expectations related to femininity and race, recalling the pressure associated with playing with predominantly white Barbie dolls.