Yvonne Orji

Born: 1983-12-02 (age 42)
Birthplace: Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Occupation: Actress, Comedian
Alma Mater: George Washington University
AKA: Yvonne Anuli Orji

Biography

EARLY LIFE

Yvonne Anuli Orji was born on December 2, 1983, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, to Igbo parents. She grew up in Laurel, Maryland, and spent her high school years in Lititz, Pennsylvania, attending Linden Hall, an all-girls boarding school. She earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and a master's degree in public health from George Washington University. Her parents expected her to pursue a career as a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, or engineer, but she was inspired to do comedy after performing stand-up in a beauty pageant during graduate school.

CAREER

In 2009, Orji moved to New York City to pursue a career in comedy. In 2015, she landed the role of Molly in the television series Insecure (2016–2021) without an agent or prior acting experience. For her role, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and three NAACP Image Awards. In 2021, she began developing a Disney+ series titled First Gen, based on her life, produced by Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo. She is also the author of the book Bamboozled by Jesus. Orji co-hosted the 2021 International Emmy Awards and hosted the romantic comedy reality dating series My Mom, Your Dad (2022) on HBO Max. In 2023, she voiced Tess in My Dad the Bounty Hunter and signed a two-year first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television. In April 2025, Orji began hosting Pop The Balloon Live on Netflix.

PERSONAL LIFE

Raised Catholic, Orji is now a devout Protestant and has publicly stated her decision to remain a virgin until marriage. She was in a relationship with former American football player Emmanuel Acho from 2018 to 2019. Orji is also dedicated to philanthropy, having worked with Population Services International (PSI) in Liberia to promote healthy behaviors and prevent teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. She currently serves as a (RED) Ambassador, a Literacy Champion for Jumpstart, and works with JetBlue for Good.