A chance X article about “Bottoms” became my introduction to Ayo, announced as part of the cast alongside Rachel Sennott. With a spark of courage, she embodied the queer character Josie, a feat rarely seen in mainstream media for actors of Nigerian descent. Witnessing her boldness in such a space was a breath of fresh air, and her subsequent rise to fame feels like a joyous victory for representation. Ayo inspires me beyond words.
With a birthdate aligning with the balanced scales of Libra, Edebiri arrived in Boston on October 3, 1995. Her childhood in Dorchester was a vibrant mix of cultural heritage from her Barbadian mother and Nigerian father, and her Pentecostal faith instilled a strong sense of community through regular church visits.
Church pews were her first stage, where she honed her vocal skills. By high school, open mics with friends became her comedy lab. Eighth-grade drama, a pivotal moment, ignited her passion for improv, leading her to Boston Latin’s renowned club with her parents’ full backing. At NYU, teaching initially held her attention, but she discovered the allure of playwriting and made the switch.
“She was originally going to be an English teacher but switched careers because her students were mean to her”
-AyoSource
Edebiri’s brand of humor is infectious, starting from the hilarious backstory behind her acting career. Naturally, she found her footing in the world of stand-up, even scoring a gig on Comedy Central’s Up Next (go watch it!). But Edebiri craved more than just laughs. So, in May 2020, she co-wrote and co-starred alongside fellow comedian Rachel Sennott in the scripted digital series “Ayo and Rachel Are Single,” showcasing her comedic versatility beyond stand-up sets.
She made her film debut in 2020 comedy-drama Shithouse, in an uncredited role. Edebiri co-hosts a podcast called Iconography with Olivia Craighead that features interviews with guests in conversation about their shared personal icons. The podcast is produced by Forever Dog and the second season was released in 2020.
Edebiri’s writing credits shine on programs like “The Rundown with Robin Thede” and “Sunnyside.” Later, she joined the esteemed team behind “Big Mouth,” contributing to the show’s acclaimed fourth season. When the show embraced change and Jenny Slate passed on the role of Missy, Edebiri’s talent landed her the coveted voice role, adding her artistic vision to the character starting in season four.
She was a writer and actress in Dickinson’s second season on Apple TV+, where she first worked with Christopher Storer, who went on to create The Bear.
In 2022, she became a writer and consulting producer on the Hulu series What We Do in the Shadows, earning a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Episodic Comedy for the episode “Private School”.
On January 26, 2023, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the 2025 film Thunderbolt, however it was announced on January 30th, that she will no longer star in Thunderbolt due to scheduling conflicts. On January 25, it was announced that she would host the next Saturday Night Live (SNL) with Jennifer Lopez.
She also voices the character Envy, in Inside Out 2, to be released later in the year.
Edebiri’s Filmography
Hello, Goodbye and Everything in between
Edebiri stars as Stella in this 2022 romantic drama film directed by Micheal Lewen, from a screenplay by Amy Reed and Ben York Jones based on the novel of the same name by Jennifer E. Smith. It also stars Jordan Fisher, Talia Ryder, Nico Hiraga among others.
The Bear
In 2022 Edebiri gained wider prominence as a main cast member on the FX on Hulu comedy series; The Bear. She plays Sydney Adamu, an ambitious young sous chef working with the owner of The Bear restaurant, the performance has led to her breaking records and receiving various prestigious film awards.
It follows a young chef, Carmen “Carmy” (Jeremy Allen White), who inherits his family’s Italian Beef sandwich shop after the suicide of his older brother. He comes home to to Chicago run it, leaving behind his world of working in a Michelin star restaurant. He is left to deal with his brother’s unresolved debts, a rundown kitchen, and an unruly staff, while dealing with his own pain and family trauma.
The series has received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its writing, directing, acting, and production values, as well as its examination of its subject matter. The first season received ten Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Comedy Series and acting wins for White, Moss-Bachrach, and Edebiri. The Bear has also won four Golden Globe Awards, with acting wins for White and Edebiri, the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy as well as the Critics Choice Awards for Best Comedy series in 2024. In 2023, the show was renewed for its third season. It has been reported that she is set to make her directorial debut on an episode in the third season.
Bottoms
In 2023, she starred as Josie, a queer loser who starts a fight club with her best friend PJ, in order to get her crush to notice her in the satirical teen sex comedy where she stars opposite Rachel Sennott. The film was considered one of the best films of the year, everything about it was so ridiculous yet great. It comes highly recommended especially because of Edebiri and Sennott’s terrific comedic performance.
It was the highest per-screen average on ten or more screens since Everything Everywhere All at Once in 2022. It also stars Nicholas Galitzine, Havana Rose Liu, Marshawn Lynch, Ruby Cruz, Kaia Gerber, Miles Fowler among others.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary sitcom television series created by Quinta Brunson for ABC. It stars Brunson as Janine Teagues, a perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a fictional predominantly Black school in Philadelphia. The ensemble cast includes Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
The show has been nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning four including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Brunson. It has also won three Golden Globe Awards, with acting wins for Brunson and Williams and the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2023. In January 2023, the series was renewed for a third season consisting of 14 episodes, which will premiere on February 7, with two episodes.
Edebiri joined the cast in the second season as Ayesha Teagues; the realistic long distance sister of Janine. It is unclear if she will be a recurring character for the third season, but because of the nature of her role, it seems likely.
Theater camp
Also in 2023, she starred in the mockumentary comedy film directed by her friend and fellow actress, Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman in both of their feature directorial debuts from a screenplay by Gordon, Lieberman, Ben Platt and Noah Galvin.
The film follows eccentric staff members of an upstate New York theater camp who must band together when their beloved founder falls into a coma. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews with many comparing it to the films of Christopher Guest.
The Sweet East
She appeared as Molly in the film The Sweet East directed by Sean Price Williams which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival at the Directors’ Fortnight.
The film is a fantasy drama about a highschool senior, (Talia Ryder) from South Carolina gets her first glimpse of the wider world, picturesque cities and woods of the Eastern seaboard on a class trip to Washington, D.C. It also stars Jacob Elordi, Simon Lex, Earl Cave among others.
Working as a voice actress, Edebiri co-produced and appeared on Mulligan in 2023, an animated series for Netflix while she had voice roles in the Netflix interactive special We Lost Our Human. Also in 2023 she appeared in an episode of the Mel Brooks Hulu series History of the World, Part II and the Black Mirror episode “Joan Is Awful”.
She also voiced roles in the Disney Channel series Kiff and the Max series Clone High. Later in 2023, she appeared in the animated superhero sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and in the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Both of the films received critical acclaim and were financially successful.
Edebiri’s award collection
Astra Creative Arts TV Awards for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (Abbott Elementary)
Critics’ Choice Awards for Best Actress in a comedy series (The Bear)
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Television series, musical or comedy (The Bear)
Independent Spirit Award
2024 NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (The Bear)
Nomination for 2024 BAFTA Rising Star Award
Nominations from the Gotham Awards
With her Emmy win, Edebiri joins her friend Quinta Brunson in carving a path for Black representation in comedy. They are the second duo ever to win Lead Actress honors in different categories at the same ceremony in the same year.
With her current success, I am sure 2024 will be a better year for her and I will be here to watch whatever she is in. Will you be there?
euphoria 
Leave a comment