Issa Rae Says She Was 'Horrified' Learning More About Ivanka Trump for New Show 'Coastal Elites'

Issa Rae is opening up about preparing for her new role in Coastal Elites.

In the new HBO quarantine comedy, the 35-year-old Insecure actress plays a philanthropist who runs in the same circles Ivanka Trump.

“For me, this is kind of an education because I do tend to try to avoid as much of the Trump family as possible,” Issa said during the virtual CTAM panel promoting the show via The Wrap. “And Ivanka, in particular, I’ve always found fascinating — but not fascinating enough to listen to.”

“So it took a lot to research,” Issa continued. “And the more I found out, the more horrified I was. And a lot of that is expressed through the work. But a testament to [writer] Paul [Rudnick]’s writing. It was just incredible to read and immediately resonated.”

Issa didn’t elaborate on what she found out about Ivanka.

Directed by Jay Roach, Issa stars in the special alongside Bette Midler, Sarah Paulson, Dan Levy, and Kaitlyn Dever.

According to HBO, “Coastal Elites spotlights five distinct and impassioned points-of-view across the United States. When the shutdown forces these characters to cope in isolation, they react with frustration, hilarity and introspection.”

Coastal Elites will debut on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 8 pm ET on HBO.