Honestly, we’d be surprised if you haven’t come across Ayo Edebiri yet.
This self-proclaimed shy girl is now rising in the ranks of Hollywood.
Let’s take a look at her stunning transformation from a nerdy kid to a multi-award-winning actress.
Her mother hails from Barbados, while her father is from Nigeria.
She described Dorchester, the neighborhood in Boston she grew up in, as a working-class neighborhood.
Her parents were no exception.
It’s no surprise then that religion became a big part of Edebiri’s childhood.
In a 2022 interview withThe New York Times, Edebiri laughed as she recounted the conversation.
However, she was convinced by her middle school drama teacher, Christa Crewdson.
The young performer ended up joining an improv club in high school, too.
Her parents, who were working-class immigrants, were skeptical when she brought it up.
“The Bear” star said in an interview with The Boston Globe.
On top of her course load at Tisch, she was doing stand-up comedy at night.
She also took on a job as a part-time nanny, but the list doesn’t end there.
Edebiri also worked at big restaurants in New York, such as ABC Kitchen and abcV by Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Except she wasn’t taking on the role of sous chef as she did in “The Bear.”
Instead, she was a hostess, barista, and eventually a waitress.
She didn’t consider a career in comedy something she could do until she moved to New York.
So I thought, ‘Okay, why not give this a shot?'"
And they were like, ‘If you’re going to go for it, just go for it.’
So I’m going for it!"
“I have a Letterboxd because I love movies, I love TV, I love the industry.
I know how hard it is to make something,” she explained (viaTikTok).
In her reviews, we get to see her comedic chops and occasionally some more serious takes.
In her bio, she urges people to give him a follow, too.
So if you have a Letterboxd account, you know what to do!
And it meant being up on stage alone.
“I didn’t like being onstage and was very nervous at first.”
Sennott, to Edebiri’s surprise, added her to the lineup in a show during their senior year.
And Edebiri delivered a great 10-minute set.
“Rachel [Sennott] was like, ‘Told you,'” Edebiri toldVulture.
Consuming [while] figuring out my taste," Edebiri explained.
She continued doing stand-up well after college, performing in clubs both in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The young performer slowly made her way as a writer and comedian in the business.
Though Edebiri was a writer on the show, she also had a recurring on-screen role as Hattie.
The duo has worked together since their days at NYU (they met while shooting a sketch).
They’ve been through a lot together, to say the least.
Now they’re on to greener pastures, which consist of red carpets and front-row seats for Proenza Schouler.
She was excited for the opportunity, as she was already a fan of the show.
“This is like a dream job,” she said (viaYouTube).
Who would’ve thought that she’d become a voice behind one of the characters, too?
“I’m lucky that that happened.
It’s a real honor,” she shared in an interview withEntertainment Weekly.
“I’ve worked in restaurants a lot in my life.
She drew from her previous experience for her role in the show.
Once they completed their course, White and Edebiri continued on different routes for training.
For Edebiri, it meant taking two shifts at Michelin-rated restaurants and working with female chefs.
Yes, that includes the knives and the stove so they were playing with actual fire.
It probably wasn’t a coincidence that Edebiri resonated with the same character once she read the script.
“I kind of identify with the character a lot,” she shared in an interview with Today.
Casting director Jeanie Bacharach was impressed by Edebiri’s performance during one of the callbacks.
“It’s such a fine line of both innocence and ambition that Sydney has.
And though the show may be anxiety-inducing, the experience on set was the total opposite.
“I really love working on it and I love everybody who is a part of it.”
The FX show “The Bear” was well-received and Ayo Edebiri’s excellent performance didn’t go unrecognized.
She had at least 10 TV projects, with a mix of on-screen appearances and voiceover work.
At the time of writing, she has at least four more upcoming films slated for release in 2025.
“The Bear” star is also set to join the Marvel Universe in the movie “Thunderbolts.”
As of January 2024, her role has not yet been disclosed.
Edebiri is excited about her role in the upcoming Marvel movie, as it marks her first-ever blockbuster film.
“I love being a sponge.
I just want to learn as much as possible,” she enthused in an interview withBackstage.
“I feel like those are always the situations that I’ve benefited from the most.
Newsat the Emmy’s, she admits it wasn’t exactly what she aspired to growing up.
Her younger self, “didn’t dream of nights like this,” Edebiri said.
“She sort of dreamed of just, like, dental insurance.”
Though she was never in it for the awards, she’s thankful for the recognition.
She was unhappy with who she was growing up.
And she’s come to a point where she doesn’t want to make any changes to her appearance.
“I want to look like myself.
I want to look like Black people who are from Boston.”
