Yvonne Anuli Orji // ⓘ [1] (born 2 December 1983) is an Nigerian-American actress and comedian. She is best known for her role in the television series Insecure (2016–2021), for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Awardand three NAACP Image Awards.
Life and career
Orji was born on 2 December 1983, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria to Igbo parents, and she grew up in Laurel, Maryland, in the United States.[2][3] She spent her high school years in the small town of Lititz, Pennsylvania, where she attended Linden Hall, the oldest all-girls boarding school in the country. Raised Catholic, Orji is now a devout Protestant and has stated that she will remain a virgin until marriage.[4]
She earned both a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and a master's degree in public health from George Washington University. Orji's parents expected her to become a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, or engineer. However, she was inspired to do comedy as a graduate student when she performed stand-up in the talent portion of a beauty pageant.
After graduate school, in 2009, Orji moved to New York City to pursue a career in comedy.[4] In 2015, she landed the role of Molly on Insecure without an agent or any real acting experience.[5] In 2021, she began development on a series for Disney+ titled First Gen. The series is based on her personal life and is produced by Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo.[6] Orji is the author of the book Bamboozled by Jesus.[7]
She gave a speech at TEDxWilmingtonSalon in 2017 titled, "The wait is sexy". In the talk, she explains her reasons for abstaining from sex before marriage.[8]
She cohosted the 2021 International Emmy Awards.[9] She also hosted the romantic comedy reality dating series My Mom, Your Dad, which premiered on HBO Max in 2022, which ran for a single season.[10]
In 2023, Orji voiced Tess, the estranged wife of secret bounty hunter Terry, a recurring character in My Dad the Bounty Hunter.[11] Also in 2023, Orji had signed a two-year first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television.[12]
Charitable efforts
Outside of her creative work, she is dedicated to philanthropy. In 2008 and 2009 she spent six months working in post-conflict Liberia, with Population Services International (PSI), an NGO that utilizes social marketing in the adoption of healthy behaviors. While in Liberia, she worked with a group of talented youth to help build a mentoring program as well as a weekly talk show that helped educate and prevent the spread of teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. She currently lends her time and voice as a (RED) Ambassador, a Literacy Champion for Jumpstart, and working with JetBlue for Good.[13]
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Further reading
Wilson, H. W. (November 2018). "Yvonne Orji". Current Biography. 79 (11): 51–55. ISBN 9781682176412. OCLC 1005191045.
References
- ^ GW Alumni Association. "Yvonne Anuli Orji". www.alumni.gwu.edu. The George Washington University. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ "YVONNE ORJI". Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- ^ "Yvonne Orji on Colorism in TV & Her New Comedy Special - Coveteur: Inside Closets, Fashion, Beauty, Health, and Travel". coveteur.com. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ a b Davis, Allison P. (10 October 2016). "Molly From 'Insecure' Is Your New Favorite Single Lady". The Ringer. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ Connley, Courtney (17 November 2018). "Yvonne Orji landed her role on HBO's 'Insecure' with no agent, no manager and zero acting experience". CNBC. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (13 January 2021). "Yvonne Orji Autobiographical Comedy Produced By David Oyelowo & Oprah Winfrey In Works At Disney+". Deadline. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ "Book | Bamboozled By Jesus". Bamboozledbyjesus.
- ^ "The wait is sexy". YouTube. TEDx Talks.
- ^ "Yvonne Orji to host 2021 International Emmy Awards: "All dem wedding hosting days paying off"". BellaNaija. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "'Insecure' Star Yvonne Orji Plays Matchmaker for Single Parents in 'My Mom, Your Dad' Trailer". 7 January 2022.
- ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (16 November 2022). "'My Dad the Bounty Hunter' Trailer Makes Catching Space Criminals a Family Business". Collider. Archivedfrom the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (27 April 2023). "Yvonne Orji Inks First-Look Deal With Sony Pictures Television". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ "Insecure - Yvonne Orji Knows the Fight Against AIDS Happens on the Ground". HBO. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
External links
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