She stars is a show called Insecure, but you wouldn't associate her with that word based on a recent interview that Yvonne Orji gave to People magazine recently. The actress, who's 33 years old, shared some very intimate details about her personal life, including why she's remained a virgin and will continue to do so until marriage.
"Before any of [the fame] happened, I sat down with myself and with God and thought, when I make it, how do you want me to represent you while I’m here?” The HBO actress said she came to the following conclusion about herself: “It was like, OK, I know why I’m here. It’s to make you proud.” While still a taboo subject in many circles, Orji said that she’s always more than willing to explain the decision to remain a virgin to anyone who asks. “People ask about it because they’re curious, or they may not understand,” she explained. “How will they ever get understand if I don’t talk about it? I can inform your curiosity, as opposed to everyone being in the dark and just sort of creating their own narrative about it.”
The TV star emigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria when she was six years old, saying that her family made that decision for obvious reasons. “It was the traditional immigrant story of my parents wanting the best for us and bringing us here,” she said. However, her life growing up in Maryland wasn't without hardship. “I was bullied because I have this thick Nigerian accent,” she added. “My mom would say, ‘We didn’t come to America for you to be popular.’ Which is fair, but as a kid, you’re just like, it would be really nice to have this thing that everyone else has.”
Orji later graduated with a master’s degree in public health from George Washington University before dropping those life plans and moving to New York City to pursue her love of stand-up comedy. Based on her current status as a key cast member on one of television's most talked-about shows, it's safe to say that her star will only continue to rise in the entertainment world.
Check out her TED Talk below.
