Issa Rae says fans call her President Barbie when out on the street

Actress and producer Issa Rae has shared that people on the street now refer to her as President Barbie following her role in Greta Gerwig's successful summer blockbuster Barbie. While speaking on The View, she expressed her surprise at the unexpected moniker during the daytime talk show, 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!'"

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Discussing the film's success, Rae acknowledged the challenges faced by the cast due to an actors' strike, preventing them from fully promoting the movie. Despite this, she expressed pride in being part of the project and commended Gerwig and co-producer Margot Robbie.

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“We didn’t really get to celebrate the success, and I’m so honoured to be a part of it, I’m so proud of Greta Gerwig and [star and co-producer] Margot Robbie,” she said.

In a People magazine special issue before the actors' strike, Rae opened up about her childhood connection with Barbie dolls. She described them as her way of playing and telling stories, noting that they served as a form of early sex education.

“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.