Issa Rae’s high school presidential run may or may not have helped with her President Barbie role in ‘Barbie’

As Issa Rae geared up to make her debut as President Barbie in the Barbie movie, she took a stroll down memory lane, remembering a time that may or may not have prepped her for the role. 

In a conversation with ABC News ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike, Rae spoke about her run for president in high school, explaining how not winning that race sort of translated to her “powerless” character in the film. 

“I’ve never been president before,” she joked. “I was not president in high school [even though] I ran.”

Rae described how she “wore a superhero costume that said, ‘I’d make a super president.'”

But that might have “turned people off,” she said, laughing. 

Losing the race meant Rae never got a chance to call the shots, but, ironically, neither does President Barbie.

That’s because every Barbie has a say, Rae said, adding, “Barbie can be anything.”

The Insecure star still enjoyed acting as the head Barbie in charge. It was “an honor to have that title,” she said.

Watching the film come to fruition was a “beautiful” experience for Rae, who spent plenty of time reading the script and “taking it in.”

“But to see it and to see the beautiful performances, and just watch it play out and connect with it in a different way, it was very touching.” 

The new Barbie movie hits theaters July 21. 

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