Why Does Everyone Think Ayo Edebiri Is Irish?

If you’ve been keeping up with awards season, you know that Ayo Edebiri is having a moment right now. The actor recently scored a Golden Globe, Critic’s Choice, and Emmy Award for her performance as Sydney Adamu in Hulu’s original series The Bear, and she’s nominated for a BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild Award, too. But her impressive list of accomplishments isn’t the only thing that people are talking about.

You may have noticed that in nearly every red carpet and post-ceremony interview she’s done this season, someone always mentions Ireland, for some reason. Thanks to an old running joke and memes online, fans of Edebiri can’t quite seem to nail down her connection to the country.

Where It All Started

To clear up any confusion, Edebiri is not Irish. Originally from Boston with ties to Nigeria and Barbados, the rumor started when the 28-year-old teased her relationship with the country while chatting with the film review app Letterboxd at South By Southwest (SXSW) in March 2023.

In the interview, the actress joked that she played Jenny the donkey in the 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin, which takes place in Ireland and stars Irish actors Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon. Edebiri is not featured in the film.

Playing along, the interviewer asks how she prepared for the role. “I lived in Ireland for about four months, and I got really in character,” the Boston native responds in an Irish accent. “I was on all fours for four months, and it was really painful but beautiful as well.” A true actor committed to her craft.

After giving a long spiel about how “happy” she is for her Oscar-nominated co-stars, Edebiri finally drops the accent. “Oh, my God, sorry. I literally — I was there, you know what I mean? I slipped back into it,” she says jokingly.

As soon as the video went viral, fans immediately grasped onto Edebiri’s fondness for the country. “I think she’s the first-ever American to do a proper Irish accent,” @k.connolly_1201 commented on the video. “Irish person here. she is now claimed,” said @wxstelandd.

The Joke Lives On

Though the initial interview is nearly a year old, it feels like the joke has really picked up steam in recent weeks, and it’s nearly impossible to mention Ayo Edebiri without acknowledging Ireland in the same sentence. In fact, the rumor is spreading so fast that it’s getting harder and harder to discern whether or not Edebiri is actually Irish.

On Jan. 10, the X account @filmindublin congratulated “Ireland’s own Ayo Edebiri” for her BAFTA nomination. While accepting her Critic’s Choice Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series on Jan. 15, the actress thanked the people of Boston, Barbados, Nigeria, and “Ireland, in many ways,” adding fuel to the fire. She was also photographed with Irish actor Cillian Murphy at the ceremony. Shoutout to the homeland.

The joke even made its way to the Emmys red carpet, when one interviewer asked her about the longstanding gag. “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, Edebiri didn’t use the accent this time around, but it’s clear she still has love for Ireland regardless.