Ayo Edebiri Continues to Embrace Irish Joke as She Wins Emmy and Critics Choice Awards

Newly minted Emmy and Critics Choice Award winner Ayo Edebiri, known for her starring role in the acclaimed series ‘The Bear,’ made sure to keep the internet joke alive that she is Irish during award ceremonies this weekend. Edebiri, who won the Emmy Award for supporting actress in a comedy, playfully mentioned Ireland on the Emmys red carpet, further fueling the viral joke.

The actress also secured a Critics Choice Award for her performance in ‘The Bear’ and during her acceptance speech, she hilariously acknowledged her family scattered across Boston, Nigeria, Barbados, and, of course, “Ireland, in many ways,” drawing cheers and laughter from the audience.

Addressing the ongoing Irish jests, Edebiri previously shared a photo with her ‘Bottoms‘ co-stars celebrating the end of the SAG-AFTRA actors strike and humorously announcing that their film was playing in her “home nation of Ireland.”

The joke extended even further when Irish film review publication Film in Dublin affectionately referred to Edebiri as “Ireland’s own Ayo Edebiri” in a tweet celebrating her BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination, which went viral and sparked continued amusement among fans (Edebiri even shared the tweet on her Instagram story, adding “Go díreach,” which means “exactly” in Irish).

Social media users jumped on board and created various memes, some humorously claiming Edebiri as a “Derry girl” and imagining potential films where she could utilize her Irish accent.

In a delightful turn, a photo of Edebiri and Irish actor Cillian Murphy together at the Critics Choice Awards circulated on social media and generated significant attention.

Contrary to the ongoing joke, Ayo Edebiri, 28, was actually born and raised in Boston to a Nigerian father and Barbadian mother. The teasing commenced when she faux spoke in an Irish accent during an interview with the film social networking website, Letterboxd, in March 2023. Edebiri playfully claimed she portrayed Jenny, the donkey, in the Oscar-nominated Irish film ‘The Banshees of Inisherin,’ and humorously shared her “arduous” four-month experience of living in Ireland to fully embrace the character. She quipped, “I was on all fours for four months, and it was really painful but beautiful as well, and it was probably the most fulfilling part of my career. I deserved a nomination more than anybody else since I was obviously a donkey for four months.”

The Irish news outlet RTÉ even included Edebiri in a list of best-dressed Irish celebrities at the Critics Choice Awards, dubbing her an “honorary Irish princess” and praising her stylish all-white outfit. The list also acknowledged Murphy and Barry Keoghan, star of ‘Saltburn.’

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on the Emmys red carpet, Edebiri playfully shouted out to her people and cities, including Derry, Cork, Killarney, and Dublin.

‘The Bear’ has enjoyed a triumphant awards season, securing three wins for Edebiri alone at the Emmys, Golden Globes, and Critics Choice Awards. Her co-star Jeremy Allen White also achieved acting accolades at all three ceremonies, while Ebon Moss-Bachrach won supporting actor awards at the Emmys and Critics Choice. ‘The Bear’ emerged as a strong presence at the Emmys, winning 10 out of 13 nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series. Edebiri, White, and Moss-Bachrach will compete for Screen Actors Guild Awards next month.