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Ayo Edebiri. Actress. Comedian. Irish Princess?!

After sweeping this year's award season in the Best Actress in a Comedy Series category for her role as Sydney in The Bear, Ayo thanked Ireland in her acceptance speech and ignited the start of a massive inside joke across the internet.

"Shoutout to my people! Shoutout to Derry! Shoutout to Cork! Shoutout to Killarney! Shoutout to Dublin!" Ayo said in her post-win interview with Entertainment Tonight at the Emmys.

Who is Ayo Edebiri?

Ayo Edebiri is an American actress and comedian who was born in Boston, Mass. During her college years at New York University, she started her career in comedy, performing standup and co-writing a digital series. Her breakthrough role as chef Sydney Amadu on Hulu's The Bear (a comedy series about cooking—don't let the name confuse you!) saw her soar to fame. Ayo has also had roles in other popular comedies such as Big Mouth and Abbott Elementary (shoutout Quinta Brunson, you will *always* be famous to me!).

@goldenglobes

It all started with Letterboxd...

The running Irish princess joke started with Ayo's interview with Letterboxd while promoting her comedy film Bottoms on the red carpet. She made a joke about starring in The Banshees of Inisherin film alongside Colin Farrell as his stubborn donkey friend named Jenny. While the role was made up, let's be real: Who *wouldn't* want to star in film with Colin Farrell??

"I lived in Ireland for about four months, and I got really in character. I was on all fours for four months, and it was really painful but beautiful as well," Ayo said in a convincing Irish accent (think: Seamus Finnigan, not Merida!).

The joke went viral (thank you, TikTok!), and Irish fans instantly took to claiming her as one of their own.

@letterboxd No thoughts… just Ayo Edebiri as Jenny the Donkey #fyp #foryou #letterboxd #sxsw #ayoedebiri #movie #film #filmtok #bansheesofinisherin #irish ♬ original sound - Letterboxd

The people's princess of Ireland

Since her interview, the gag has continued, popping up in Ayo's acceptance speeches, promotions on X and during red carpet interviews. Everyone has taken to the joke, with users on X and TikTok dubbing her "the people's princess of Ireland" and "Ay O'Edebiri."

Lady Whistledown herself joined The Irish Times in claiming Ayo as one of the Irish's own on her Instagram story.

"We're so proud of you our girl," she wrote, tagging Ayo on her post.

Film in Dublin took the joke to the next level, publishing a list of "Irish" actress Ayo Edibiri's best filmography. I think it's safe to say that Princess Ayo Edebiri of Ireland has found a permanent home among her people. 

Congratulations to Ireland's own Ayo Edebiri for her nomination for the 2024 BAFTA Rising Star Award 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/Rx0y7nEHPq

— Film In Dublin (@filmindublin) January 10, 2024

For more on celebs during award season, follow us on Instagram @girlslifemag!

To explore other celeb content, check out some of these:
🌟 EXCLUSIVE! Miya and Kai Cech are making history in their new American Girl movie
🌟 Lily Gladstone’s Golden Globe win is a triumph for Indigenous portrayal in film
🌟 EXCLUSIVE! Everything you need to know about Wonka star Calah Lane

Top image: @ayoedebiri
Slider image: @ayoedebiri

by Megha Gupta | 1/31/2024