Ego Nwodim Says She Had to 'Pinch' Herself When Dionne Warwick Appeared in Her 'SNL' Parody Sketch

Ego Nwodim says she couldn't believe it when the real Dionne Warwick appeared before her as she impersonated the music legend during a recent sketch on Saturday Night Live.

While chatting with PEOPLE at the American Museum of Natural History's 2021 Museum Gala in New York City on Thursday evening, the 33-year-old actress and comedian opened up about her reaction when Warwick, 80, appeared as herself on the recurring sketch The Dionne Warwick Talk Show earlier this month.

"Oh my God! ... I kept having to pinch myself. I couldn't believe she was really there," Nwodim told PEOPLE exclusively. "And then I was like, 'That's who I look like,' but she's here."

"It was incredible and so much fun," she added. "She's so gracious and wonderful."

During an SNL episode earlier this month, which saw Kieran Culkin serve as host and Ed Sheeran as musical guest, Warwick stole the show when she made a surprise appearance.

"You know what? I'm tired of interviewing people who are not icons. Please welcome me," Nwodim said at one point during the sketch, as the real Warwick joined her onstage in a sequined sweatsuit, telling her: "I'm so excited for you that I'm here."

The dueling Dionnes were comedic gold during the brief appearance. "Well, let me ask you something. Dionne, why are you perfect?" Nwodim asked, as Warwick responded, "Darling, I'm not perfect, just very, very good."

Warwick and Nwodim then closed out the sketch with a duet of the 1965 song "What the World Needs Now Is Love" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. "Damn, we look good," Nwodim mused in between lyrics.

The "I Say a Little Prayer" artist later raved about her experience on the show, praising Nwodim and costar Punkie Johnson, who played Warwick's niece and social/branding director Brittani Warrick.

"I had fun at @nbcsnl," Warwick wrote on Twitter. "Thank you to @eggy_boom (ME), @Punkiejohnson (as @BrittaniWarrick), and to the writers, cast, and crew. I had a wonderful time with you all."

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Warwick has been a fan of the sketch since Nwodim first debuted it, along with her impersonation of Warwick, in December. Premiering on her 80th birthday, the real Warwick called it a "hilarious birthday gift" at the time.

"That young lady's impression of me was very good," she wrote of Nwodim on Twitter, following it up with more praise: "You did a wonderful job, baby. You are a star."

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Nwodim also told PEOPLE that getting Warwick to appear on SNL came about thanks in part to social media. "I think she was tweeting," she explained, before adding with a laugh, "you know, if you tweet enough, your dreams might come true. And that's a case of that."

"Someone had said, 'When are you and Ego going to do something together?' And then she retweeted it and said, 'I'm waiting on you,'" Nwodim added. "They made it happen."

While Warwick has long been a music icon, she's recently found fandom in a new generation thanks to her hilarious Twitter posts, in which she praises and calls out today's stars like Chance The Rapper, The Weeknd, Cardi B, and Taylor Swift.

"I think people are enjoying my honesty," Warwick told PEOPLE in June of her newfound social media stardom. "I lay it right out for you. I don't edit."