Ayo Edebiri has just made Emmy history. The Dorchester native and breakout star of The Bear became the first woman ever to be nominated for both lead acting and directing in a comedy series in the same year. Not too shabby!
Edebiri earned a nod for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sydney Adamu in season three, and picked up her first-ever directing nomination for the standout episode “Napkins,” which also marked her directorial debut. The emotionally charged episode focused on fan-favorite Tina, giving viewers a deeper look into her backstory.
Season three of The Bear racked up 13 nominations, bringing the show’s total to 49 overall. While that’s down from last season’s record-breaking 23, Edebiri’s double nomination is the headline—and rightfully so.
Edebiri’s parents were immigrants – her mother is from Barbados, and her father is Nigerian – who settled in Dorchester. The 29-year-old actress told the Globe she attended St. Margaret School and sang in the choir of her church. In seventh grade, she went on to attend the prestigious Boston Latin School. From there, Edebiri went to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she graduated with a writing degree. While at NYU, she was also part of an improv group and began performing stand-up comedy.
After college, Edebiri continued with stand-up and put her writing degree to good use. She worked on the FX vampire comedy “What We Do in the Shadows,” Netflix’s animated sitcom “Big Mouth,” and the Apple TV+ comedy-drama “Dickinson.”
From there, the director of “Dickinson,” Christopher Storer, was casting his new show called “The Bear” about a young chef from the fine dining world who comes home to Chicago to run his family’s struggling sandwich shop after the tragic death of his brother. Edebiri auditioned for the role of Sydney and got it.
Last year, she took home the Emmy for Supporting Actress, and now she’s gunning for lead. We’re rooting for you!
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
