'Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It!': HBO special dives into 'Insecure' actress's Nigerian roots
Yvonne Orji rose to prominence with her performance of Molly in the HBO series 'Insecure', playing Issa Rae's character's best friend. The Nigerian-American actress and comedian has had other noteworthy appearances too such as 'Night School', 'Spontaneous' and 'Jane the Virgin', but it was with her performance on 'Insecure' that she became a household name. 'Insecure' deals with the social and racial issues related to the contemporary black experience. Orji plays the role of Molly, who is a successful corporate attorney but faces difficulty when it comes to dating. The series, in Rae's words, examines "the complexities of 'blackness' and the reality that you can't escape being black".
In her first HBO comedy special, 'Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It!', Orji delves deeper into her Nigerian roots offering her fans and followers an intimate look at the foundations of her life, her inspirations and her aspirations. Shot in a packed Howard Theatre in Washington DC roaring with laughter, Orji brings her signature razor-sharp wit and confidence that both celebrates and pokes fun at her strict, formative Nigerian-American upbringing. Along with a whole lot of other things.
Comedy was not the first destination for Orji. Her parents expected her to become a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist or engineer. The special will also include her unique journey from pre-med to comedy. But Orji was driven to do comedy since the first time that she tried her hand at it during the 2006 Miss Nigeria in America Pageant. Even in that special, Orji spoke about her African parents. "One of the jokes — I did a joke about how African parents specialize in the two-day delayed backhand hand slap," she had said in an interview. "And you got to understand because like, they won't — you'll do something, and they won't immediately discipline you. They'll wait till you least expect it."
Her HBO special is interspersed with similar vibrant anecdotes from her past. At the same time, there is personal footage shot in Nigeria, Orji's native home, during a milestone trip in early January. 'Yvonne Orji: Momma I Made It!' takes an intimate, hilarious look at what being Nigerian-American means to the comedian and actress. There is a lot that will she will discuss in the special — from her international haggling addiction and having her phone tapped by her parents as a child, to the fine line between cursing people out and putting curses on them.
The hour-long comedy special 'Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It!' is written, performed and executive produced by Orji, directed by Chris Robinson, executive produced by Michelle Caputo, Shannon Hartman and DC Wade. 'Yvonne Orji: Momma I Made It!' premieres on Saturday, June 6, at 10 pm on HBO. The special will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms.
