Yvonne Orji Writes a Love Letter to Her Idol Wanda Sykes

In a world short on joy, humor can be a unifier and a survival tool. In that spirit, we bring you our Comedy Issue, a month-long celebration of funny (and fearless) women and the enduring power of a good laugh. Here Insecure star Yvonne Orji salutes the woman who made her see the value in being herself onstage.

Wanda Sykes and I have had similar career trajectories. We’re both from the D.C. area. She spent five years working as a contracting specialist for the NSA, and I got my master’s in public health. Chris Rock gave us both our big chances: She was a writer on The Chris Rock Show; I opened for him on his “Total Blackout Tour” last year.

I started comedy in 2006. I didn’t even think it was a thing I could do. I have immigrant, African parents. They would say, in their Nigerian accents, “So you want to be a jester?” And I was like, “I don’t want to be a court jester, Ma. I want to be a comedian.” But what they meant was, Do people make a living from this? Who are the black female comics who are successful? I remember googling Wanda.

Wanda has this certain cadence. She’s like a stern auntie telling you about life. She has this one bit where she’s talking about strip clubs in Florida. She’s like, “Florida got so many strip clubs they need to change their state flag to just a brass pole.” And that’s her humor. It’s like set up, boom. Set up, boom. It doesn’t take a long story to get there.

And Wanda always has a point of view. She doesn’t just let life happen—she’s actively participating in it. And she’s honest about it. She was married to a guy. And then she came out and got married to a woman. And now she can talk about being with a guy and then being with a girl! That’s something very few people have the ability to pull humor from.

As a performer, the thing you want the most is to be your authentic self. The fact that one of Wanda’s comedy specials is called I’ma Be Me exemplifies the freedom we get to have as entertainers. I’m a clean comic, and when I was starting out, people were like, “Wouldn’t this joke be funnier if you used the F-word?” And I’m like, “Nope! I can’t do that. Not my brand.” People would be like, “She’s funny, but she’s clean.”

There was always an asterisk to my talent. But I have a point of view. I’m Nigerian. And I’m American. And Christian. I’m waiting until I get married to have sex. I can speak to what that’s like. Wanda helped me find that sweet spot. She helped me find humor in what makes me different.

Read on for Glamour west coast editor Jessica Radloff’s interview with Wanda Sykes:

GLAMOUR: What do you remember about the first time you met Yvonne?

WANDA SYKES: Yvonne was doing stand-up, and I had no idea that she did stand-up. I’m a huge fan of the show Insecure [also]. So Yvonne does stand-up, and she’s great. And then I saw her perform in front of a huge audience when she opened for Chris Rock here in L.A., and again she was great. She is the full package. To do stand-up and then to be that vulnerable [on Insecure]…it’s two separate skill sets.

GLAMOUR: Who inspired you when you were starting out?

WS: Well, Carol Burnett is my hero, right, so when I met her at her new Netflix show, I was just a babbling idiot. [Laughs.] Comics are very awkward people. We have no social skills. I have to give myself a backstory if I’m going to be in a social setting around people, like, ‘OK, tonight be fun, be funny, but not too funny.’

GLAMOUR: What’s one thing you wish someone told you when you were starting out?

WS: To be true to yourself. But that takes confidence and time, especially when it comes to stand-up. You have to be vulnerable. It’s about taking chances and putting yourself out there. You can’t play it safe the whole time.

GLAMOUR: Do you remember when it started to click for you onstage?

WS: When I did my first half hour and I was going through a divorce. I was talking about that and just being honest about that. And then, of course, was the second I’ma Be Me, about being married to a woman and the kids.

GLAMOUR: What’s the difference between a stand-up comic and a comedian?

WS: There are some people who are naturally funny, and then there are people who just tell jokes. There are some people who say funny things and have a way of saying things that make you laugh. And there are other people who really have to write the hell out of a joke and craft it to where you go, “Wow, that was good.”

GLAMOUR: Do you think it’s easier for female talent to break into the comedy space now?

WS: It’s easier because there are more of us now, and we’re showing we can be profitable, which makes it easier. Also, there are more outlets and ways to be seen. That’s one thing about social media and YouTube and all. You can just put your stuff right out there and [your followers] will let you know if they’re enjoying it. You don’t have to see if the booker goes, “Oh, I have two females on this show, so I can’t book another one.” But social media can also provide you with a false sense of approval, so you have to really be in front of an audience to get a sense of whether what you’re doing is funny or not.

GLAMOUR: What is the biggest misconception about what you do?

WS: If I’m out in public, fans expect the same character they saw on Curb Your Enthusiasm. They expect me to be this crazy woman and just yell at them or curse them out. It’s like, “That’s not how people behave in real life!” You think I’m this mad, crazy woman who’s just gonna go off for no reason! I get this all the time, like, “Wanda, it’s my husband’s birthday, can you call him and tell him he’s an asshole?” It’s like, “Why would I do that? That’s not normal!”

Yvonne Orji costars on Insecure, which returns to HBO this month. Wanda Sykes is on tour this fall.