Yvonne Orji’s dream to play a talk show host is coming true… kind of

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — If Yvonne Orji looks comfortable portraying a talk/game show host in a new set of Hertz commercials, there’s a reason.

The “Insecure” star pointed out to CNN in a recent interview that she had guest hosted for Ellen DeGeneres in the past, and expressed interest in helming her own chat show some day.

“I’m hosting this fictitious game show, right,” she said. “So I’m like, someone is going to give me a talk show.”

Orji believes in manifestation, and it’s clearly working for her.

Not only is she starring in the car rental company ads opposite football great Tom Brady, but her book “Bamboozled by Jesus” comes out in paperback in September, she has two comedy specials under her belt, as well as forthcoming films “Vacation Friends 2” and “The Blackening.”

The actor told CNN her years starring on HBO’s “Insecure” – which ended in 2021 after five seasons and earned Orji an Emmy nomination – helped prepare for it all (HBO is owned by CNN’s parent company).

“I’m honestly living the dream,” she said. “‘Insecure’ was a fantastic foundation for me. And it just springboarded all the things that I desire to do. And I’m still doing more of them.”

Stand-up comedy remains a favorite form of expression, she said, because “I love the immediate response you get from the audience.”

Orji is expecting laughs as well for “The Blackening,” due out this month.

The film pokes fun at the trope of Black people always dying first in horror films, and the actress said audiences will enjoy how funny it is, even as it also touches on the serious issue of who determines Blackness.

“It’s a satire, but it’s a really interesting conversation starter about like, what does it mean?” she said.

To Orji, it sounds like a topic she would explore on her long-hoped-for talk show.

“It would be fun,” she said. “It would almost be a mix of those roundtable talk shows where comedians are just talking about stuff, and then kind of like Oprah.”

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