Latest news with #Edebiri
Refinery29
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
Is The Bear Committing 'Category Fraud'? Either Way, Ayo Edebiri Deserves Her Historic Emmy Noms
For many TV watchers The Bear and controversial Emmy nominations go hand in hand. For the last few years, every time the show scores Emmys nominations — like this year's 13 nods — the same statement inevitably gets cranked out of the discourse machine: ' The Bear is not a comedy. ' The show has consistently earned nominations and won in comedic Emmy categories, sparking outcry from viewers and critics who ask, 'How can a show about anxiety, trauma, and family breakdowns be a comedy?' But this leads to another question: In an era where genres are constantly being blurred and reimagined, do categories even matter? And further, does this whole debate overshadow artists' achievements? This year, one of The Bear's breakout stars Ayo Edebiri has made Emmys history. She's the first woman ever to be nominated for both acting and directing in a comedy series and she's the youngest Black woman to have earned three acting nominations. She's up for 'Outstanding Leading Actress in a Comedy Series' and 'Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series' for her directing work on the episode 'Napkins'. While calling The Bear a 'comedy' might be questionable, there's no doubt that Edebiri's phenomenal work, both in front of and behind the camera, deserves recognition — and award wins. That tension between the category and the content has made The Bear a lightning rod for awards discourse and, to be fair, the 'Emmys fraud' debate isn't entirely without merit. There's a long history of shows making strategic decisions to improve their chances of success. At the Emmys, shows can submit themselves to any category they choose, so they tend to pick the one they believe they are more likely to win. Lead actors submit themselves to the supporting actor category or more dramatic shows submit themselves to the comedy categories, bending the rules to secure an award. For example, in 2014, Joe Morton — who played protagonist Oliva's father in Scandal — was submitted for the 'Outstanding Guest Star' award category despite appearing in most episodes that season. It also doesn't help that the Television Academy (who runs the Emmys) used to state for years that comedies were defined as having a run time of 30 minutes. Therefore, a show like The Bear, exploring panic attacks, grief spirals, and high-stakes emotional reckoning alongside lighter comedic moments ended up being classified as a comedy by default because most of the episodes' runtimes fit the comedic categories by definition. They changed these rules in 2021. Comedic acting has historically been undervalued, so when a show like The Bear dominates the comedy category, it raises valid concerns about whether dramas-in-disguise are crowding out more traditional, and equally deserving comedic work. The reality is TV genres straddle a medley of storytelling styles, which is great for viewers who appreciate innovation — award shows need to keep up. Bearing all this in mind, it's difficult not to feel happy for Edebiri — what matters most is her work being recognized. Her work in front of and behind the camera has been exceptional. Season 3 of The Bear often felt sluggish and struggled to find its feet, but flashback episode "Napkins" (Edebiri's directorial debut and written by Catherine Schetina) stood out as a beautiful, tender insight into chef Tina (played by Liza Colón-Zayas) and how she became who is in the kitchen. We see the working-class woman of color, mother, and wife struggle after being suddenly thrust back into the modern LinkedIn-ified world of work, pitted against graduates and younger workers vying for the same jobs, facing endless faux-polite rejections and the immense pressure to continue providing for her family in a job market that doesn't value her. A coincidental but deeply meaningful encounter with Mikey at The Beef helps Tina reinvent herself in the workplace. The Bear tends to veer between unbearably hectic and tranquil; Edebiri shows her directorial chops by directing an episode imbued with that quiet stillness. We see the camera focus on aspects of Tina's everyday routine, and watch as the stability of her life begins crumbling. Whilst this part of Tina's story is sad, she's not a pitiful figure. Edebiri gives the character a sense of fight, determination and dignity despite the anguish. Edebiri has continued to build on her skills in 2025's Season 4, directing and starring in the episode 'Worms' — a tender portrait of Blackness, family, and community whilst also a highly introspective character study. Sydney (Edebiri) is facing a long stretched out dilemma: should she stay at The Bear or leave to join Chef Adam Shapiro's new venture? As Shapiro begins to feel like an awkward mismatch rather than a viable new business partner, it's also the first time we see the show delve more explicitly into racial themes. In the episode, Shapiro doesn't understand that Sydney's hair appointment is likely to take all day, he over-explains why he's blasting an East Coast rap song, and is then surprised when she chooses to put Beethoven on instead. He expects her to "bring in Afro Caribbean influences" to the restaurant, despite the fact we've never really seen her cook that style of cuisine (Sydney is also Nigerian). Later, he asks her if she's seen the Chris Rock documentary Good Hair. He has the air of a 2020 self-described "white ally" who reduces Sydney to her racial identity, putting her in a box and diminishing her humanity. (Predictably, his good nature quickly disappears when he doesn't get what he wants from her later in the series.) ' While calling The Bear a 'comedy' might be questionable, there's no doubt that Edebiri's phenomenal work, both in front of and behind the camera, deserves recognition. ' 'Worms' also reflects the deeply familiar shared experience of Black women getting their hair done: Sydney gossiping hairstylist/cousin Chantel (played by Danielle Deadwyler who is hilarious in the episode), getting her hair braided at home rather than in a salon, the stylist code-switching on the phone then back to her authentic self with Sydney, Chantel scolding her young daughter TJ for talking back. It's a very believable portrayal of a near-universal experience for Black women. The exploration of Sydney's dilemma through her conversation with the much younger TJ is an interesting twist. There's hardly any food in the house, so they go on an impromptu shopping trip, and leisurely make a home-cooked meal; the timer on the oven is stuck at 12:00. Unlike the demands of the professional kitchen, time is suspended and Sydney has the time to contemplate her choices through the simplicity of a child-like metaphor: choosing which house to go to for a sleepover. Getting a glimpse into Sydney's familial relationships creates a contrast with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), who can't even remember he's now an uncle. 'Worms' demonstrates deftly the tension of choosing between someone who seems "right" on paper (Shapiro) and people who — despite their flaws — feel like home (Syd's coworkers at The Bear). Edebiri's ability to convey that tension in her meandering dialogue, wide eyes, pauses, and sometimes unconvincing justifications for why she's still at The Bear is outstanding. Comedy or drama, The Bear's writing, storytelling and directing is warm, grounded, realistic and brings us back to the heart of the show: food. The Bear is often far more interested in the personal and the micro, than the political and macro, but to me it has always quietly reflected a truth about multi-racial America, particularly for working-class people. People from different backgrounds work, socialize and care about each other. The Bear restaurant is often referred to as a family— albeit a chaotic one— and that extends to something very true about people in America more broadly, contrary to the story that more Conservative power holders want to tell. In a wider landscape of ICE raids and other racially hostile policies, the quiet politics Edibiri skillfully and convincingly teases out feels important.
Elle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Ayo Edebiri and Julia Roberts Face Off in Tense 'After The Hunt' Trailer
Luca Guadagnino is so back. The Oscar-nominated director's new film, After the Hunt, will officially be released this October. The film is written by first-time screenwriter Nora Garrett and stars Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, and Andrew Garfield. Here's everything we know about the forthcoming psychological drama. The film follows a college professor (Julia Roberts) who gets caught in the middle of a campus scandal after her student (Ayo Edebiri) accuses one of her colleagues (Andrew Garfield) of 'crossing the line.' Per IndieWire, on an episode of the podcast WTF with Marc Maron, Guadagnino shared that After The Hunt is one of his 'very rare' films that isn't about 'sexuality or love.' 'It's a very timely movie for where we are now,' he said, 'in terms of the society and the division in society and the extreme positions that we can have vis-a-vis an opinion in a way. It's about what happens in the milieu of academia between younger and older people and the idea of consent. I can tell you that it's very loaded. I can tell you that the movie is very provocative, but not in a stupid way, but I would say in a very articulate way.' He also added that this is Roberts's 'best performance' of her career. In another interview, Guadagnino also spoke about how much he enjoyed working with Edebiri. 'Ayo is a movie star in the real sense of bigness, and cinema, and excitement,' he told W. 'She has a commitment toward performance that you rarely find now. She absolutely commands your gaze. She's funny and she's extremely beautiful—and that is a very rare combination.' In addition to Roberts, Edebiri, and Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny round out the cast. In an interview with Deadline at this year's CinemaCon, Garfield revealed what it was like to work with Guadagnino for the first time. 'What was exciting and surprising about being with Luca on set was how loose he is, how relaxed he is, how spontaneous, in the moment, and totally focused [he is] when he needs to be,' he said. 'He seems to be allowing the day, the scene, and the moment to be found. And he's such a precise filmmaker, simultaneously.' Edebiri echoed those sentiments. She said that filming with Guadagnino was a 'mix of complete openness and specificity of vision.' She continued, 'As an actor that fosters you to come up with so many things and understandings of your character.' Yes! On July 16, Amazon MGM Studios released the official trailer. The film will be released in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on October 10 and will open nationwide on October 17. This story will be updated.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Bear' Season 3 Receives 13 Emmy Nominations, Including Historic First Directing Nom For Ayo Edebiri
The Bear is once again an Emmys darling, scoring another 13 nominations Tuesday morning for its third season, including a historic one for Ayo Edebiri. That brings the FX series' total to 49 Emmy noms across three seasons. Over the course of the first two seasons, The Bear has taken home 21 golden statuettes. Notably, in addition to a third consecutive nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sydney Adamu, Edebiri was also recognized in the directing category. More from Deadline Primetime Emmy Nominations: The Complete List 'Squid Game,' Diego Luna & Elisabeth Moss Snubbed In Emmy Nominations; Beyoncé & Martin Scorsese Among Big Surprises 'The White Lotus' Racks Up 23 Emmy Noms, With First-Time Nominees Scott Glenn, Jason Isaacs & Aimee Lou Wood Not only is this Edebiri's first directing nom, she is the first woman ever to be nominated in the same year in both acting and directing for a comedy series. RELATED: Where's My Show? Why Some Of Your Favorites Won't Be Emmy-Nominated This Year Edebiri made her directorial debut with Season 3, Episode 6, titled 'Napkins.' The episode focuses on Liza Colón-Zayas' character Tina and her life outside of work, flashing back to her job hunt that landed her at The Beef. Colón-Zayas was also nominated for her work in Season 3, marking her second nom from the Television Academy. She won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category for her work in Season 2. Also nominated in acting categories are Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Jon Bernthal, Olivia Colman and Jamie Lee Curtis. Now remember, even though Season 4 of The Bear recently premiered on Hulu, Emmy voters are considering Season 3 for awards this go-around. The fourth installment won't be eligible to compete for an Emmy until next year. RELATED: Emmy Winners For Best Comedy Since 1952 Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far 'Street Fighter' Cast: Who's Who In The Live-Action Arcade Film Adaption 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Emmys, Oscars, Grammys & More
Sunday World
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
The Bear star Ayo Edebiri's publicist thought she was having 'breakdown' after Irish claims
The Emmy-winning actress has been keeping the running gag going since March 2023 when she joked in an interview that she played the donkey in 'The Banshees of Inisherin'. The Bear star Ayo Edebiri has revealed how her publicist thought she was having a mental breakdown over her pretending she is Irish. The Emmy-winning actress has been keeping the running gag going since March 2023 when she joked in an interview that she played the donkey in 'The Banshees of Inisherin'. She even slipped into an Irish accent while claiming that she had lived in Ireland for four years and 'really got into character' of Jenny the donkey. Since then, Edebiri has been shouting out support for various locations in Ireland during awards acceptance speeches and in other interviews. But she told Conan O'Brien how her publicist thought she was having a mental breakdown because of her insistence on sticking to the pretence. 'I remember talking about this with a friend,' she told O'Brien. 'I was like, 'my favourite type of joke might be a lie.' Like, something where it's almost not even funny, it's mostly just funny to me.' She even recalled her publicist at that first interview being visibly confused by what she was doing. 'I remember in that moment I saw my PR,' she told Conan. 'She was at the corner of my eye and was kind of like, 'no, no, no, no, no, no,' because it was nonsense. 'It was just me being like, 'oh yeah, I was up in Ireland and I was kind of chilling' and she was like, 'ok, mental breakdown on the horizon'. 'I don't know, it just kept going." Conan O'Brien O'Brien who is actually Irish ruefully suggested that she is more respected in Ireland as he is 'rightfully loathed by the Irish'. 'I wanted to congratulate you, because you started this joke which you improvised, a joke about being Irish, and then you kept going,' O'Brien told Edebiri during a recent conversation on his 'Conan O' Brien Needs a Friend' podcast. 'Now it has resonated so much that the people of Ireland have accepted you as one of their own, which they will not do with me,' O'Brien admitted. 'You got a day in Boston and you're revered by the Irish people. I am rightfully loathed by the Irish and never a day in Boston.' However, Edebiri suggested that he might still gain the love and admiration of the Irish. 'I think your day could come is what I'll say about that,' Edebiri said. While Boston, where both Edebiri and O'Brien are from, has a large Irish population, Edebiri's mother is Barbadian and her father is Nigerian. Edebiri subtly joked about being Irish while accepting the Critics' Choice Award for best actress in a comedy for her work in The Bear in January 2024. 'To everybody in Boston, Barbados, Nigeria, Ireland in many ways,' she told the crowd during her acceptance speech at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport. 'Thank you so much.' Ayo Edebiri Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 9th
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ayo Edebiri Says Her Publicist Thought She Was Having a 'Mental Breakdown' When She Joked About Being Irish
Ayo Edebiri revealed that her publicist thought she was having a 'mental breakdown' after she committed to a bit claiming that she was Irish. 'I remember talking about this with a friend. I was like, 'My favorite type of joke lowkey might be a lie.' Like, something where it's almost not even funny, it's mostly just funny to me,' Edebiri told Conan O'Brien about the origin of the now-viral joke during the Monday episode of his Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'The Bear' Review: FX/Hulu's Culinary Dramedy Stalls Out With a Muted Fourth Season Mark Ruffalo, Jimmy Kimmel, Gracie Abrams, Kerry Washington and More Stars Participating in "No Kings" Protests John Mulaney Explains Why He Declined Offer to Host 2024 Oscars The joke began when Edebiri was interviewed by Letterboxd at South by Southwest in March 2023. After she joked that she played the donkey in the 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin, Edebiri began speaking with an Irish accent and jokingly said that she lived in Ireland for four years in order to get 'into character.' While reflecting on the origin of the joke, Edebiri explained that she caught her publicist appearing visibly confused when she first starting speaking with an Irish accent during the red carpet interview at SXSW. 'I remember in that moment I saw my PR. She was at the corner of my eye and she was kind of like, 'No, no, no, no, no, no,' because I was just, it was nonsense,' Edebiri shared. 'It was just me being like, 'Oh yeah I was up in Ireland,' and I was kind of chilling and she was like, 'Okay, mental breakdown on the horizon.' I don't know, it just kept going. But then other Irish people too have been like, 'What's up?!' and I'm like, 'Yeah, what's up.'' While Edebiri's publicist seemed confused by the bit, O'Brien applauded the actress for her commitment to the joke. 'Now it has resonated so much that the people of Ireland have accepted you as one of their own, which they will not do with me,' O'Brien, who is of Irish descent, told the guest. 'You got a day in Boston and you're revered by the Irish people. I am rightfully loathed by the Irish and never a day in Boston.' Edebiri then encouraged O'Brien that he still had a chance to win over the Irish population. 'I think your day could come is what I'll say about that,' she said. The topic of Boston came up because both Edebiri and O'Brien are from the Massachusetts city. While Boston has a large Irish population, Edebiri's mother is Barbadian and her father is Nigerian. Fans grew both smitten and confused by the joke as Edebiri continued to claim she was Irish in interviews and social media posts after the initial SXSW interview. Edebiri previously brought the bit to center stage when she subtly joked about being Irish while accepting the Critics Choice Award for best actress in a comedy for her work in The Bear in January 2024. 'To everybody in Boston, Barbados, Nigeria, Ireland in many ways,' she told the crowd during her acceptance speech at the Barker Hanger at the Santa Monica Airport. 'Thank you so much.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Harvey Weinstein's "Jane Doe 1" Victim Reveals Identity: "I'm Tired of Hiding" 'Awards Chatter' Podcast: 'Sopranos' Creator David Chase Finally Reveals What Happened to Tony (Exclusive)
