Yvonne Orji of ‘Insecure’ to Star in Ad Celebrating Black Beauty

You might recognize her as Molly from HBO’s Insecure, which has earned a ton of buzz after just one season. But Yvonne Orji is so much more than a beloved TV sidekick. The Nigerian-American actress, 33, is also a beauty and body-positive advocate, and is set to star in a new ad that highlights the evolution of black beauty in Hollywood.

On Feb. 11, in collaboration with Procter & Gamble’s “My Black Is Beautiful” initiative, an ad starring Orji will launch, according to Madame Noire. The spot will air during the NAACP Image Awards, for which Orji has also been nominated.

In the commercial, Orji will “share her perspective on the evolution of Black beauty in Hollywood while embodying that very evolution herself with her chocolate skin, textured ‘fro, full lips, and contagious smile,” reports Madame Noire, which published behind-the-scenes photos of the shoot.

Orji told Elle that she believes it’s crucial for marketers and anyone who sets standards for public image to represent people of all ethnic backgrounds and races. “It’s so much better when people can see all of themselves in products,” she said, noting that the presence of the Obama family in the White House for eight years put a fine point on the need for diversity in the public sphere. “They hold the highest position in the land, so it would be in our best interests to represent them in our products, right?” she posited to the magazine.

A vocal advocate for self-acceptance, Orji is very down-to-earth about her own image and overall standards of beauty. She told Elle, for instance, that she’s quick to remind people that social media involves a significant amount of smoke and mirrors. “People say to me, ‘Oh, my God. I just saw your Instagram. You’re slaying it!’ I’m like, ‘Thank you, but Instagram is not real.'”

She revealed her own insecurities to the magazine, saying, “I’ve got scars from old pimples, and I’m trying to get rid of them. My actual desire is to be able to comfortably walk out of my house without any makeup on and feel as beautiful as I do when my makeup artist beats my face. … I’ll probably always opt for makeup because I just like the way it feels. You can play with it and create different looks, and I think that’s fun. But I also want the option to not need it. I think that’s what life is about, just having the options to or not to do.”

Orji was also a victim of bullying, as she told Vibe. She always focused on her education and for that she was picked on in middle school. She was so serious about it (she has a master’s degree in public health) that when she attended George Washington University at 17, she decided to remain abstinent. And, partly because of her religion and spirituality, she has continued with that decision. Today, she’s a proud 32-year-old virgin.

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