If you've been following awards season, you'll know that Ayo Edebiri is having a blast right now. The actor recently won a Golden Globe, a Critics' Choice Award and an Emmy Award for his role as Sydney Adamu in the Hulu original series "Bear," as well as a BAFTA and Nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. But her impressive achievements aren't the only things people are talking about.
You may have noticed that in almost every red carpet and post-ceremony interview she's done this season, for some reason there's always been a mention of Ireland. Fans of Adebiri can't seem to quite pin down her connection to the country, thanks to an old joke and meme circulating online.
where it all begins
To clarify, Ed Beery is not Irish. The rumor originally came from Boston, which has ties to Nigeria and Barbados, with the 28-year-old teasing her ties to the country in March 2023 while chatting with film review app Letterboxd at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference.
During the interview, the actress joked about playing Jenny the Donkey in the 2022 film "Inisherine ," which is set in Ireland and stars Irish actors Colin Farrell, Brendan Starring Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon. Edbeli does not appear in the film.
During the coordination process, the interviewer asked her how she had prepared for this role. “I lived in Ireland for about four months and my character is very authentic,” the Boston native responded in an Irish accent. "I was on my stomach for four months and it was really painful but also beautiful." A true actress dedicated to her craft.
After going into a tirade about how "happy" she was with her Oscar-nominated co-star, Adebiri finally ditched her accent. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. I was really - I was right there, you know what I mean? I was back in trouble," she joked.
Once the video went viral, fans immediately recognized Edbeli's fondness for the country. “I think she’s the first American to do an authentic Irish accent,” @k.connolly_1201 commented on the video. "Irish here. She's been claimed now," said @wxstelandd.
The joke lives on
Even though it's been nearly a year since the original interview, it feels like the joke has definitely become more popular in recent weeks, and it's almost impossible to mention Ayo Edbiri in the same sentence without acknowledging Ireland . In fact, the rumors spread so quickly that it became increasingly difficult to discern whether Edbeli was actually Irish.
On January 10, X account @filmindublin congratulated “Irish native Ayo Edebiri” on his BAFTA nomination. The actress added fuel to the fire on Jan. 15 when she expressed her gratitude to the people of Boston, Barbados, Nigeria and "Ireland, in many ways," while accepting the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. . She also took a photo with Irish actor Cillian Murphy at the ceremony. Scream for the motherland.
The joke even made it onto the Emmy red carpet when an interviewer asked her about the long-running joke. "Shout out to my people," she responded. "Shout out to Derry, shout out to Cork, shout out to Killarney, shout out to Dublin." Unfortunately for fans, Adebiri didn't use an accent this time, but it's clear she still loves Ireland.
