‘Insecure’ Star Yvonne Orji Talks Being 'Battle-Ready' With Her Faith

Insecure bad girl, Yvonne Orji plays her role as Molly Carter better than imagined. Though the role is the first big break in her career, now that she’s walking in her moment, the faith-filled actress recently revealed to InStyle that there was a time where she was afraid of what roles she would be presented because of the compromise she would have to endure.

“As difficult as the hungry days were—the borderline depressing days when I wasn’t working—they served as a form of grooming because I thought about what I would do when a good opportunity did come along,” she told the publication. “So many people are just focusing on getting their big break, but it’s more about what you do when the big break comes. What will your character be like? You can’t prepare in the battle. You have to be battle-tested and ready.”

Though the actress is very vocal about her decision to remain a virgin until she gets married, when the opportunity to play the role of the sex-driven character Molly arrived, she divulged that she was already comfortable enough in her faith to take on the role.

“I knew I’d inevitably play a character who has sex (and Molly has a lot of it!), but I also knew that nudity wasn’t an option,” she said. “At the end of the day, I know I gotta sell it, but I also gotta look my momma in the face.”

When discussing the impact that her relationship with God has had on her life, Yvonne confessed that being exposed to more helped her believe in more and provided her with a religious awakening. “Over the years, my relationship with God has changed my life for the better — it’s grown me up, given me a sense of purpose, and grounded me in my identity.”

While her decision to take on the role was something that others may question her to take on as a devout Christian, the actress confirmed that through both her faith and Nigerian culture, she has been given the substance and foundation to be who she desires to be in life. “It’s definitely been a journey, but at the end of the day, I’m a representative of Him wherever I go. If you see me and enjoy anything about me, it’s directly because of the God that’s in me.”

Insecure airs Sunday nights on HBO.