Kendrick Sampson says ‘Insecure’ explores ‘gray areas that make us human’

Dec. 20 (UPI) — Kendrick Sampson discussed his HBO series Insecure and what makes the show great as it heads into its series finale while appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show.

“What’s so beautiful about Insecure is it’s baked into the title. You have to explore those gray areas that make us human, and that is the best part of it to me,” the actor, who portrays Nathan on the series said on Monday.

Sampson said he gets called Nathan out in public and mentioned how the Issa Rae comedy feels authentic as characters like Rae’s Issa Dee are inspired by her real life.

“I get called Nathan all the time. It’s usually somebody yelling at me for what I did to Issa and then I have to remind them me and Issa have a great relationship,” Sampson said.

Insecure wraps up its fifth and final season Sunday on HBO at 10 p.m. EST.

Sampson also discussed how he got started in Hollywood and thanked his mother and his elderly roommate he met in church who gave him a place to stay in Los Angeles. Sampson said he was surrounded by amazing Black women who helped him along the way.

“I learned nothing more than you have to be really intentional about building your community around you based in good values. And it has to be rooted in liberation,” he said.

“Their whole objective with me was to make sure that I was fed, that I was cared for and that I was more liberated than they were coming up. I have nothing else to credit to my success because they created the environment that I could grow in,” he continued.