Ayo Edebiri is an American actor and comedian, born in Boston, Massachusetts. She is best known for her roles as Sydney in ‘The Bear’ and Josie in the 2023 comedy film ‘Bottoms.’
Her career began when she attended New York University’s Tish School of Art where she received an undergraduate degree in dramatic writing. After graduation, she performed stand-up comedy gigs in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Gaining attention from these gigs, Edebiri moved to Los Angeles to write for several tv shows including, ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ and ‘Dickinson.’ Her first major acting role was in the fourth season of the Netflix series ‘Big Mouth,’ where she voiced the character Missy and later became a writer for the show’s fifth season. Unfortunately, this casting decision led to harassment against the actor and her family in 2020, resulting in the removal of her family information.
After ‘Big Mouth,’ Edebiri started to have more on screen appearances, working with fellow actor and comedian Rachel Sonnet co-writing and starring in a Comedy Central sketch mini-series as fictionalized version of themselves. Edebiri and Sonnet already had a friendship from meeting during their university days.
Christopher Storer, the creator of the Hulu show ‘The Bear’ promised to work with Ayo Edebiri during a lunch meeting in 2019, which became a reality when he offered her the role of Sydney in 2021. Edebiri utilized her experience working in New York restaurants to prepare for her role as Sydney, a sous chef. Her portrayal of Sydney awarded her a Global Globe and Emmy.
Diego Salinas (11), a fan of the show, was “very happy to see” the recognition that ‘The Bear’ received this award season. Salinas continued, describing Edebiri’s performance, “I think she puts so much into it. You can really tell she is into the role. At times it did not feel like it was acting.”
On February 3rd, 2024, Ayo Edebiri hosted an SNL episode with Jennifer Lopez as a musical guest. Edebiri is now booked and busy with several upcoming projects including season three of ‘The Bear’ and a horror movie called ‘Opus.’ She also co-stared in ‘The Sweet East’ on December 1st, 2023, which is being digitally released on streaming services February 27th, 2024.
