Yvonne Orji
| Yvonne Orji | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 2, 1983 Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian-American |
| Alma mater | George Washington University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Known for | Insecure |
Yvonne Orji (born December 2, 1983) is a Nigerian-American actress best known for her role as "Molly" in the HBO series Insecure.
Orji was born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria and grew up in Maryland. She received a master’s degree in public health at 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 child, when she performed stand-up in the talent portion of a beauty pageant. After graduate school, Orji moved to New York City to pursue a career in comedy.
After moving to Los Angeles, Orji was hired as a writer's room intern for Love That Girl! during its first season. She was promoted to writer during the show's second season.
Orji wrote the pilot for her semi-autobiographical sitcom, First Gen, using her experiences as a Nigerian woman and stand-up comedy routines. The show was considered groundbreaking among immigrant Nigerian families. First Gen revolves around a young woman who chooses a career in comedy instead of the medical field, as expected by her parents. Key themes are immigrant family values and traditions. First Gen has yet to be picked up by a major network or online streaming service. However, the pilot received 25,000 views in less than 3 days of being uploaded to YouTube. Orji also created a Docu-Series for first-generation children to speak about their experiences growing up in immigrant families.
Orji approached friend Issa Rae, whose father is Senegalese, to participate in First Gen. Rae cast Orji as Molly in Insecure.
2010-2011: Love That Girl! (TV Series) -- Writer, Actress 1 episode: "Head Shrunk" as Njideka
2013: Sex (Therapy) with the Jones (Short) -- Actress as Moshinda
2015: First Gen (Sitcom) -- Creator, Writer, Executive Producer, Actress as Joanna
2016: The Conversation: Talk Show Series (TV Movie) -- Host
2016–present: Insecure (TV Series)-- Actress as Molly Carter, 18 episodes
Orji is a devout Christian and has stated that she will remain a virgin until marriage.
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