Fast-rising actress and writer Ayo Edebiri is the latest cover star for The Hollywood Reporter’s August issue. Edebiri, who was recently nominated for an Emmy, discussed her journey into acting, her evolution from writing on shows like Netflix’s Big Mouth and AppleTV’s Dickinson to landing roles in the shows themselves. For her main cover shoot, Edebiri wore a loose, feathery top over shiny, silver thigh-high boots. This is her first cover story for the publication.
On Growing Up
In her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Edebiri shared that she had a childhood filled with extended families and an active school life. The 27-year-old was involved in numerous school activities including improv and school clubs.
“I was definitely dealing with a lot of hormones and undiagnosed things swirling around, but I was also very focused on sorting out my adult life,” she said in her interview. “I’m a future person, always wondering what’s the next move. I’m very rarely here.”
On Charting Her Career Path
Edebiri revealed in her interview that she attributes some of the direction her career has taken, to delusion.
“I had no framework for this kind of career, but I think a little bit of delusion is healthy here. Because we’re doing a delusional thing. A career in the arts? It’s delusional,” she said.
Edebiri has been involved in various facets of the creative industry. Alongside writing for television, she has also tried her hands at stand-up comedy – which she did while working multiple dead-end jobs and attending NYU. She was even writing for The New Yorker at the time. That varied line-up of experiences that has paid off for Edebiri who has appeared in well-lauded projects. There was the cameo in “Abbott Elementary,” her supporting role in “The Bear,” her newest role in the comedy film “Bottoms,” :Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” and an upcoming sting in Marvel’s “Thunderbolts.”
On Auditioning For Bottoms
In her interview, Edebiri revealed that although her role in the film “Bottoms” was custom written for her, she still had to audition for it.
“I’m still slightly salty about it,” she told Hollywood Reporter’s Seija Rankin. “I don’t know who made me audition, but I passed.”
The director Emma Seligman however clarified that the audition had actually been a way to meet the requirement laid out by the studio behind the project.
As Seligman told the Hollywood Reporter, “Her résumé was good and it was already obvious that her career had so much promise, but it was cool to feel validated that we all saw something.”