If you were unaware of who Yvonne Orji is, she acted as Molly on the famed show Insecure. We loved seeing her in this comedy special as it showed a different but fabulous side of her. She touches on the growth journey she embarked on, which was brought on by the pandemic and adulting. She also touches on growing up in a Nigerian household filled with laughter, colour, and moments that left her feeling somehow.
She realised that when the pandemic hit, and there was no job to go to, she had no hobbies. While the rest of the world baked and got adult colouring books, she sat wondering if her only hobby, cleaning, would suffice. It did not, so she took up tennis. She enjoyed that immensely, which made her embrace rest, ease and flow and release the hustle-and-grind mentality she grew up with.
She also found herself in therapy which is not looked upon with welcoming eyes if you are Nigerian. Her mum initially thought she was going to therapy to discuss her, which she was, but that was not the only reason she found herself in therapy. At home, she had learnt to banish and cut people off when they wronged her. In therapy, she learnt conflict resolution. In therapy, she met herself and learnt tools that would help her set and stick to boundaries in future.
Who knew you could learn so much from comedy? She touched on these tools we can all use in our lives. This leads us to believe that laughter is the best medicine because she had us in stitches and excited from the moment the spotlight was on her. Yvonne adds a dynamic layer that not many comedians have done before.
Do yourself a favour and watch Yvonne Orji’s comedy special, A Whole New Me, as it will not be on Catch up in December. Watch it for the laughs that will have you going into the festive season with cheer and a light heart. #1Magic