By McKenna Aiello | E!
Nigerian-America Yvonne Orji earned an Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series nod for her performance as Molly—the character fans loved to hate. Season 4 of the HBO series explored what goes wrong (and what can go right) when a friendship reaches its breaking point. But while we’ll have to wait for Molly and Issa (Issa Rae) to hash out their differences once and for all when Insecure returns for a fifth season, it’s only right that Yvonne gets her time to shine.
E! News caught up with the actress and comedian moments after she found about the nomination. To learn the inside scoop on the cast’s group chat, Yvonne’s take on Molly and Issa’s future and her plans to go “all out” for the Emmys ceremony, read below!
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E!: Walk me through what your morning was like. Were you anticipating anything?
YO: I think everybody’s hopeful. This season felt so different for a lot of different reasons, not only because everybody was stuck at home probably watching it. I was texting a couple of my co-stars, and then Issa’s name got announced, so then all the screams and the dancing emojis were sent. And then the show got nominated and it was like, ‘Yes!” My publicist Sam called me and she was like, ‘Congratulations!’ I’m like, ‘I know, this is a big win for everybody.’ And she’s like, ‘No, congratulations to you.’ I’m like, ‘I know, I’m so happy to be part of the ensemble!’ and she’s like, ‘You got nominated!’ And I’m like, ‘Like me? As an individual?’ So then I started searching, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God. That’s my name!’ So it took me a little bit to realize, and then I started screaming, then I started dancing and then everything went blank.
E!: Insecure isn’t new to the scene anymore, what’s it like to get this nomination so far into the series?
YO: I think that’s a testament to the writers and everybody involved. It’s like wine. We get finer and finer. Every season just gets better and better, and I think people have seen that and we’re grateful.
E!: Have you called or texted Issa this morning?
YO: Oh my God, yes. We had a moment and I thanked her. I was like, ‘Thank you for seeing something in me five years ago, for this moment. Thank you.’ She was like, ‘Girl, we all did it.’ It was a special moment. Batman and Robin. It’s still really good.
E!: Issa and Molly grew apart this season. Where do you see that friendship going in Season 5?
YO: Man, I told Issa at the end of the season, ‘Can you never do that again?’ Because I missed you. All the scenes we had together, we weren’t really together, because of the Condola [Christina Elmore] aspect and then we were fighting. But we saw at the end of Season 4, they both were like, ‘We gotta get our stuff together. We gotta be right.’ So I’m hoping they really, really strengthen their relationship. Also we have fun, and sometimes fun is messy, so I’m sure we’ll still be messy.
E!: Does it worry you then that you got the Emmy nomination for the season with all the friendship troubles, instead of the times when the friendship was stronger?
YO: We have a tethered friendship. I think [this season] really highlighted the nuances that go into relationships. Even if you think about people who were together in quarantine, whether you’re in a marriage or whether you’re in a roommate situation, this has been a total experiment, if you will, of how communication can break down a relationship. I think people are watching Issa and Molly figure out their relationship with it being a mirror for their own relationship. We’ve all experienced this pain, and I think so many people could relate to that, of all races. Even if you were like, ‘I can’t see myself as a Black person in South L.A.’, you have these relationships though. You can see yourself as somebody who has a best friend and you’re trying to figure out if this relationship will last.
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E!: We don’t know what the Emmys are going to be like this year, but have you thought about plans for at-home glam?
YO: I haven’t thought about it yet, but I’m also very much Nigerian, so whatever I do, it’s going to be over the top. We’re those people, OK? I’m like, ‘How do I get the helicopter to land me on a red carpet outside?’ I don’t know, but we gotta go all out. I know it looks different, but this is a celebration. This is a moment of Black joy, and I’m here for it.
The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, air Sept. 20 on ABC.
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