Meet Ayo Edebiri — A Comedian To Watch In 2020
She didn't always want to be a comic.
instagram While there are so many talented comedians, many of them are men. But we all know that women are just as funny, if not funnier, than men, and they are making their names known. With names like Issa Rae, Natasha Leggero, Nicole Byer, and Jenny Slate, they’re taking over. And we’re totally here for it!
Still, there are tons of funny women who have been on the comedy scene for quite some time, but aren’t as mainstream. And it’s important to learn their names, because sooner or later, they’ll probably be in the news headlines, on our streaming services, and making us laugh.
So, who is Ayo Edebiri? Here are a few things to know about this comedian, including how she got her start and why she’s expected to break barriers in the coming year.
1. She’s been in comedy for a while.
A graduate of NYU, Edebiri is a stand-up comedian, writer, and improv performer. She’s currently in the sketch group Lo-Fi, and works at The Rundown on BET. She’s performed at UCB, Union Hall, Dixon Place, and has written for NBC’s Sunnyside and the short It Was Sometimes Like This. Along with Rachel Sennott, she’s developing a digital series for Comedy Central.
Of her work on the show Sunnyside, Edebiri opened up in a piece for Forbes about her experience.
“It is really cool because the show is about immigrants,” she said. “Both of my parents are immigrants and everyone in the writers’ room is either an immigrant themselves, first-generation or married to an immigrant or connected to the immigrant experience in some sense. It’s such a nice and supportive room. It’s cool getting to be in that space and imagine a world where shows like this don’t feel rare. In addition to that, it also makes me laugh.”
2. She’s also taken on other ventures.
Since July 2019, Edebiri has co-hosted the podcast "Iconography" with Olivia Craighead. The podcast has on guests as they discuss news, celebrities, and culture. According to the podcast, “Ayo Edebiri and Olivia Craighead are joined by guests to take deep dives into the lives and careers of the celebrities they stan.” Edebiri is also a writer for the New Yorker.
3. She didn’t always want to be a comedian.
As a child, she wanted to be a doctor but realized in an eighth grade drama class that she loved performing much more. And when she moved to New York, that’s when she realized she could turn her passion into a career. “Being in New York, I saw [comedy] was a thing that people were actually making a living doing. I was meeting black women who were making it. So I thought, ‘Okay, why not give this a shot?’” she said.
During her last two years in college, she decided to dedicate herself to comedy, adding, “My parents are very practical people and they told me, ‘If this comedy thing is an actual career and a job that you want, then you have to treat it like that. If there was any opportunity for me to perform, I would take it.”
4. But she ended up treating comedy very seriously.
Says Edebiri, “My resolution to myself began with ‘you have this teaching degree, let’s try comedy.’ In New York, [an undergraduate teaching degree] runs out after two years and you have to go and get your master’s. So I thought, ‘Well, I'll just work really hard for two years and if it doesn't work out then I'll just go back and get my master's.’ I gave myself a little challenge and it turned out okay.”
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.