As we celebrate the release of Opus, join us as we learn more about this queer icon
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY A24
If you don’t know the name Ayo Edebiri, where have you been? Nowhere near a TV or cinema, that’s for sure. From tear-jerking performances to belly-laugh deliveries, Ayo has quickly cemented herself as one of Hollywood’s most exciting talents.
The Golden Globe-winning actor has marked a new milestone in her career today as she fronts A24’s latest horror film Opus alongside industry giants like John Malkovich. Starring as a young writer invited to the remote compound of a legendary pop star, Ayo’s proving once again why she is the “it girl” right now.
But behind the incredible Thom Browne looks, jokes about Ireland (if you know you know), and hilarious interview responses, where did Ayo begin? And what propelled her all the way to the top?
The beginning of the start
Eight years before Ayo would blow audiences away in her role in The Bear, she starred in a TV series called Defectives. Taking on the role of Tracey, it marked her on-screen debut. She would feature in two short films in the following years – one called Larp and the other called It Was Something Like This – before she began to make waves on the comedy scene.
She was initially a stand-up comedian
Surprising no one, Ayo started out her career as a comedian. She was featured on Comedy Central’s show Up Next, and even co-wrote a digital series with her bestie Rachel Sennott called Ayo And Rachel Are Single which also aired on Comedy Central in 2020.
She worked behind the scenes
While we’re used to seeing Ayo’s face everywhere at the minute, the start of her career was often behind the camera. She took over from Jenny Slate in the beloved animated show Big Mouth to voice the character Missy in 2020. Alongside this, she worked in the writer’s room for the Apple TV+ show Dickinson, starring Hailee Steinfeld. It was on this set that Ayo first met Christopher Storer, the director who would give her the breakthrough she needed – The Bear.
She gets her big break on The Bear
Yes, chef! Ayo soared onto our screen in Hulu and FX’s wildly popular show The Bear in 2022, starring as the beloved sous chef Sydney Adamu. In this role, Ayo picked up a number of accolades, including a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and a Spirit Award. Talk about a clean sweep.
All of a sudden, everyone was talking about Ayo. She became a writer on the mockumentary series What We Do In The Shadows. In 2023, she booked some of the biggest gigs on screen, starring in Ben Platt’s film Theater Camp as well as the viral comedy Abbott Elementary.
Ayo becomes the industry’s “it girl”
Alongside a stream of successful roles, including the beloved sapphic drama Bottoms, Ayo was becoming a cultural icon in her own right. Her relationship with designer Thom Browne has brought us some of the best looks on the red carpet that we’ve ever seen, and her infectious personality has created a dedicated fan base behind her.
Whether you’ve heard her in Everybody Still Hates Chris or Inside Out 2, or maybe even seen her already in Opus, it’s clear that Ayo is not going off our screens anytime soon. Thank god.
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