Ayo Edebiri, born on October 3, 1995, is an accomplished American actress and television writer. Renowned for her portrayal of chef Sydney Adamu in the comedy-drama series The Bear since 2022, she has earned both a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award for her outstanding performance.
Beyond her acting prowess, Edebiri has showcased her talent as a writer and voice actor on Big Mouth since 2020. In 2022, she expanded her creative footprint by contributing to the comedy series What We Do in the Shadows. The year 2023 saw her lending her voice to characters in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Additionally, she took on starring roles in the comedy films Theater Camp and Bottoms.
Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Ayo Edebiri was born to a Barbadian mother and a Nigerian father. Growing up as the only child in the Dorchester neighborhood, she was immersed in a Pentecostal family, actively participating in church services with her parents. A pivotal moment in her comedic journey occurred during an eighth-grade drama class, sparking her interest in comedy and leading her to join the improv club at Boston Latin School.
Edebiri pursued her education at New York University, originally planning to study teaching. However, her passion for playwriting took center stage as she switched her major during her time at the university. It was during her junior year that she embarked on a comedy career, interning at the Upright Citizens Brigade to further hone her craft.
Ayo Edebiri Career 2014-2022
In 2014, Ayo Edebiri appeared in a show called Defectives. She kicked off her career as a stand-up comedian, even performing on Comedy Central’s Up Next. A digital series she co-wrote and starred in, called Ayo and Rachel Are Single, started airing on Comedy Central in May 2020. She made her film debut in the 2020 comedy-drama Shithouse, but it was an uncredited role.
Ayo also co-hosts a podcast called Iconography with Olivia Craighead. In this podcast, they chat with guests about their icons. The podcast is produced by Forever Dog, and the second season came out in 2020.
As a television writer, Ayo has worked on shows like The Rundown with Robin Thede and NBC’s Sunnyside. She joined the writing team for the fourth season of Big Mouth. When Jenny Slate stepped down from voicing the character Missy to make way for a Black actress, Ayo auditioned and got the part in August 2020. Her voice acting for Missy started in the show’s fourth season.
Ayo was both a writer and actress in the second season of Dickinson on Apple TV+. This is where she first collaborated with Christopher Storer, who later created The Bear. She also had a supporting role in the 2022 film adaptation of Jennifer E. Smith’s YA novel Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between.
Ayo’s role as a Writer with acting
Photo:Instagram/Ayo ediberi
In 2022, Ayo Edebiri rose to fame as a key cast member in the FX on Hulu series, The Bear. Her stellar portrayal of Sydney Adamu, an ambitious young sous chef, earned her widespread recognition. Ayo not only secured a Golden Globe Award and an Independent Spirit Award but also snagged nominations from the Gotham Awards and Critics’ Choice Awards. To top it off, she clinched the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Critics, like Lucy Mangan from The Guardian, hailed her as “magnificent,” noting how she lights up and elevates every scene she’s in.
During this period, Ayo expanded her role as a writer and consulting producer on the Hulu series What We Do in the Shadows. Her work on the episode “Private School” even earned her a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for Best Episodic Comedy. Ayo also co-produced and made appearances on Mulligan (2023), an animated series on Netflix. Her voice graced the Netflix interactive special titled We Lost Our Human.
In 2023, Ayo’s presence extended to the Mel Brooks Hulu series History of the World, Part II, and the Black Mirror episode “Joan Is Awful.” She lent her voice to characters in the Disney Channel series Kiff and the Max series Clone High. Later that year, she voiced Glory Grant in the animated superhero sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and April O’Neil in the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Both films received critical acclaim and enjoyed financial success.
In 2023, Ayo Edebiri showcased her versatile talents in various projects. She took the lead in the live mockumentary comedy film, Theater Camp, alongside Molly Gordon and Ben Platt. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, the film received positive reviews, drawing comparisons to the works of Christopher Guest. Shortly after, she starred in the teen sex comedy Bottoms opposite Rachel Sennott, debuting at the South by Southwest festival. According to Katie Walsh from The Los Angeles Times, Sennott and Edebiri delivered two of the funniest performances of the year.
Adding to her accomplishments, Ayo appeared in The Sweet East, a film directed by Sean Price Williams, premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight. Simultaneously, she lent her voice to a character in the Netflix animated series Mulligan while contributing as a writer and co-producer.
A noteworthy highlight in 2023 was Ayo Edebiri’s hosting gig on Saturday Night Live alongside musical guest Jennifer Lopez on February 3, 2024. Despite previous criticisms of Lopez’s career on the Scam Goddess podcast in 2020, Ayo addressed the issue humorously during the show, emphasizing the importance of being more thoughtful about online posts. review Ayo Edibiri Debute’s SNL show.
Looking ahead, Ayo is set to shine in the upcoming A24 horror film, Opus, directed by Mark Anthony Green and featuring John Malkovich. Additionally, she’s gearing up for a role in the James L. Brooks comedy film, Ella McCay.
