1. Early life and education
Ayo Edebiri was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 3, 1995. She was raised as an only child in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston within a Pentecostal household, regularly attending church services with her parents. Her mother is an immigrant from Barbados, and her father immigrated from Nigeria.
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Edebiri's interest in comedy was sparked during her eighth-grade drama class, which led her to join the improv club at Boston Latin School. After high school, she attended New York University, where she initially pursued a degree in teaching before changing her major to dramatic writing. During her junior year of college, Edebiri began to seriously pursue a career in comedy, interning at the Upright Citizens Brigade, a renowned improvisational and sketch comedy theater. It was during her time in college that she met future collaborators, including Rachel Sennott and Emma Seligman.
2. Early career and comedy
Edebiri began her career as a stand-up comedian, performing sets on platforms such as Comedy Central's Up Next. Her scripted digital series, Ayo and Rachel Are Single, which she co-wrote and co-starred in with her friend and fellow comedian Rachel Sennott, premiered on Comedy Central in May 2020. Alongside her on-screen and stand-up work, Edebiri also co-hosted a podcast titled Iconography with Olivia Craighead. The podcast featured interviews with guests discussing their shared personal icons and was produced by Forever Dog, with its second season released in 2020.
As a television writer, Edebiri contributed to the writing staff for the sole seasons of The Rundown with Robin Thede and NBC's Sunnyside. She joined the writing staff of the popular animated series Big Mouth for its fourth season. In August 2020, following Jenny Slate's decision to step down from voicing the character Missy to allow a Black actress to take on the role, Edebiri auditioned and was selected as her replacement. Her voice acting for Missy began towards the end of the show's fourth season. Edebiri also served as a writer and actress in the second season of Dickinson on Apple TV+, where she first collaborated with Christopher Storer, who would later create The Bear. Her film debut was an uncredited role in the 2020 comedy-drama Shithouse.
3. Acting career
Ayo Edebiri has established herself as a versatile actress across both film and television, gaining significant acclaim for her roles in various genres.
3.1. Film
Edebiri's filmography includes a mix of independent features, animated blockbusters, and comedies. She made an uncredited appearance in the 2020 comedy-drama Shithouse as Emily. In the same year, she appeared as Nikki in Cicada. Her 2021 film roles included "Stand Up" in How It Ends and Khadijah in As of Yet. In 2022, she took on the role of Stella in Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, a film adaptation of the Jennifer E. Smith young adult novel.
The year 2023 marked a particularly prolific period for Edebiri in film. She starred as Janet Walch in the mockumentary comedy film Theater Camp alongside Molly Gordon and Ben Platt. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews, with many critics drawing comparisons to the films of Christopher Guest. Later that year, she starred as Josie in the teen sex comedy Bottoms, reuniting with her friend and collaborator Rachel Sennott. Bottoms premiered at South by Southwest, and Katie Walsh of The Los Angeles Times praised Edebiri and Sennott for delivering "two of the funniest performances of the year." Edebiri also appeared as Molly in The Sweet East, directed by Sean Price Williams, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight section.
Her voice acting contributions to animated features in 2023 were also significant. She voiced Glory Grant in the animated superhero sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Both films achieved considerable financial success. In 2024, she voiced Envy in the Pixar film Inside Out 2, a sequel to the 2015 film. She also appeared as Paula in the 2024 film Omni Loop.
Looking ahead, Edebiri is set to star as Ariel Ecton in the A24 horror film Opus, co-starring John Malkovich, and will also serve as an executive producer on the project. She will play Maggie Price in After the Hunt, which is currently in post-production, and will have a supporting role in James L. Brooks's comedy film Ella McCay, also in post-production. It was announced in February 2025 that Edebiri is in talks to both star in and write a film based on the children's television show Barney & Friends, a collaboration between A24, Mattel Films, and producer Daniel Kaluuya.
3.2. Television
Edebiri's television career has seen her take on various roles, from early guest appearances to lead roles and extensive voice work. In 2014, she appeared as Stacey in an episode of the series Defectives. From 2020 to 2023, she provided the voice for Frances in the recurring role on Bigtop Burger. Since 2020, she has been a main cast member on Big Mouth, voicing Missy Foreman-Greenwald from season four onwards, a role for which she also served as a consulting producer and writer.
In 2021, Edebiri had a recurring role as Hattie in six episodes of Dickinson, where she also worked as a staff writer. She also appeared as Eve Stone in the episode "Social Justice Sex Tape" of The Premise. In 2022, she was a party guest in the "Eyes Wide Butt" episode of Pause with Sam Jay.
Her breakthrough role came in 2022 as Sydney Adamu, an ambitious young sous chef, in the FX on Hulu series The Bear. Her performance in this main role has garnered widespread critical acclaim. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian lauded her as "magnificent" and noted that Edebiri "is still lighting up and punching up every scene she is in."
In 2023, Edebiri made a recurring appearance as Ayesha Teagues in Abbott Elementary. She also featured in the Mel Brooks Hulu series History of the World, Part II as a Runaway Slave (also credited as Japheth's Wife) in episode "III", and appeared as Sandy in the "Joan Is Awful" episode of Black Mirror. Her voice talents were utilized in the Disney Channel series Kiff as Professor Totsy and in the Max series Clone High as Harriet Tubman, a main role she continued into 2024. She also voiced Ham in the Netflix interactive special We Lost Our Human and was the VR Shopping Spree Host in the I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson episode "I Can Do Whatever I Want." From 2023 to 2024, she voiced General Scarpaccio and Jayson Moody in the recurring role on Mulligan, where she also served as a producer.
In 2024, Edebiri hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Jennifer Lopez. During a sketch, Edebiri indirectly addressed past criticisms she had made about Lopez on the podcast Scam Goddess, humorously stating she was "24 and stupid" at the time. She also began a main voice role as April O'Neil in Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and provided minor voice roles as Ducky, Alice, and Biker Gang Lady in Everybody Still Hates Chris.
4. Writing and producing career
Ayo Edebiri has a substantial career as a writer and producer in television and animated series. She began her writing career as a staff editor for Sunnyside in 2019, where she also wrote the episode "Too Many Lumpies".
From 2020 to 2022, Edebiri was a significant creative force behind Big Mouth. She served as a writer and consulting producer for the series. In 2021, she was a staff writer for Dickinson and wrote two episodes for the show's second season.
In 2022, Edebiri joined the team of What We Do in the Shadows as a writer and consulting producer, notably writing the episode "Private School", which earned her a nomination for a Writers Guild of America Award. She also contributed as a story writer for the Craig of the Creek episode "Adventures in Baby Casino".
Her producing credits expanded in 2023 with Mulligan, an animated series for Netflix, where she served as a co-producer and wrote the episode "The Egg Hunt". In the same year, she worked as a creative consultant for The Eric Andre Show. Looking to the future, Edebiri is in talks to write a film based on the children's television show Barney & Friends.
5. Directorial work
Ayo Edebiri made her directorial debut in television with the season three episode of The Bear titled "Napkins", which aired in 2024. For this work, she received a nomination for a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Comedy Series in January 2025.
Beyond television, Edebiri has also ventured into directing music videos. In February 2025, she directed the music video for Clairo's song "Terrapin", which notably starred "Weird Al" Yankovic. Prior to her directorial efforts in music videos, Edebiri also appeared as a crazed fan in the music video for Tyler, the Creator's 2024 single, "Noid".
6. Awards and nominations
Ayo Edebiri has received numerous awards and nominations for her work in acting, writing, and producing.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Gotham Independent Film Awards | Outstanding Performance in a New Series | The Bear | Nominated |
| 2023 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | The Bear | Nominated |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | What We Do in the Shadows (for "Private School") | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | The Bear | Nominated | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series | The Bear | Won | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Episodic Comedy | What We Do in the Shadows (for "Private School") | Nominated | |
| Dorian TV Awards | Best Supporting TV Performance - Comedy | The Bear | Nominated | |
| Television Critics Association Awards | Individual Achievement in Comedy | The Bear | Nominated | |
| Astra TV Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, Comedy | The Bear | Won | |
| Best Writing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy | What We Do in the Shadows (for "Private School") | Nominated | ||
| Astra Creative Arts TV Awards | Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Abbott Elementary | Nominated | |
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series | The Bear | Nominated | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | The Bear | Won | |
| 2024 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy | The Bear | Won |
| Critics' Choice Awards | Best Actress in a Comedy Series | The Bear | Nominated | |
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Voice Performance | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | Nominated | |
| BAFTA Film Awards | BAFTA Rising Star Award | - | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | The Bear | Won | |
| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | The Bear | Won | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy | The Bear | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | The Bear | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy or Drama Series | Abbott Elementary | Nominated | ||
| Television Critics Association Awards | Individual Achievement in Comedy | The Bear | Nominated | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | The Bear | Nominated | |
| 2025 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production | Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (for "Splinter and April Fight a Goldfish") | Nominated |
7. Personal life and activism
Ayo Edebiri identifies as queer. She is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and has actively canvassed for the organization on multiple occasions.
In the mid-2020s, a running joke emerged on social media that led to Edebiri being widely described as an "honorary Irishwoman." This phenomenon began in 2023 during a red carpet interview where Edebiri jokingly claimed to have played the role of "Jenny the Donkey" in the film The Banshees of Inisherin, stating that this experience fostered a deep connection with Ireland. A video clip of this humorous remark quickly went viral among Irish social media users, who enthusiastically embraced the joke, often asserting as fact that Edebiri was Irish. Edebiri reciprocated this playful adoption, frequently referring to Ireland as her home country in media interviews and even thanking Ireland in her award acceptance speeches. This mutual engagement further amplified her popularity in Ireland and solidified her status as an "honorary Irishwoman."
8. Critical reception and legacy
Ayo Edebiri has garnered significant critical acclaim for her performances, particularly for her role as Sydney Adamu in The Bear. Critics have consistently praised her ability to blend comedic timing with dramatic depth, making her a standout presence in contemporary media. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian described her performance as "magnificent," highlighting her consistent ability to "light up and punch up every scene." Similarly, Katie Walsh of The Los Angeles Times lauded Edebiri's performance in Bottoms, stating that she, alongside Rachel Sennott, delivered "two of the funniest performances of the year."
Her growing influence in the entertainment industry was underscored by her Primetime Emmy Award win in 2024. This particular win was historic, as it marked the first time that two Black actresses, Edebiri and Quinta Brunson, won both the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series categories at the Primetime Emmys in the same year. Edebiri's ability to seamlessly transition between acting, writing, and directing, coupled with her distinct comedic voice and dramatic range, positions her as an emerging and impactful figure in the entertainment landscape.