It might have taken 4 years and 4 seasons of HBO’s Insecure, and a highly rated podcast with fellow Nigerian creative and creator Luvvie Ajayi for Nigerian born actress Yvonne Orji to finally admit to the world she is as much a comic as she is an actress, but it is finally happening. And it is happening on HBO no less, the biggest platform for comics to prove themselves. While Yvonne Orji plays a largely dramatic role on HBO’s Insecure, the show that brought her to the limelight, she has also proven herself deft with comedic timing. Her work on the Jesus and Jollof podcast also helped her create a brand separate from the show and attract a different kind of audience who wanted to understand what the immigrant experience was like for a first generation Nigerian immigrant who celebrates her American heritage while holding on to her Nigerian roots.

This and more is what Yvonne Orji brings to her first HBO Comedy special ‘Momma I Made It’ which officially premieres on the 6th of June 2020. Orji spent a significant amount of time in Nigeria in January 2020, reconnecting with her Nigerian extended family, promoting her projects and getting a first true sense of how her fame has permeated Nigeria. She uses that trip as the emotional launch point for her comedy special, splicing footage from her to provide context for her retelling of what it means to be Naija-American and how these ideas influence her life and her craft. For a long time, Orji”s brand was built around the fact that she is a virgin and she is waiting for marriage to consummate. It was such a big deal that she even got to give a TED Talk about it and how she separates her character work from her life. I really hope the special expands beyond that because bruh…

Here’s a sneak peek to whet your appetite:

Editor