Ayo Edebiri: Envy and Emmy

The Bear won a lot of Emmys back in January, but it’s important to remember that those were for its first season, even though it felt like it was for season two since the show comes out in the summer. And of course there was the strike delay pushing the Emmys 2023 back to this year, which is why we’re getting the Emmys again nine months later which is where The Bear season two will be contending. 

Season two was just as critically acclaimed as season one, so there are a lot of people expecting The Bear to break some nominations records when they’re announced in July… in the COMEDY category. I’m not here to complain again about this category fraud (we have time to do this – again – when the Emmys are closer) but as much as I love The Bear, and I do, it would have a much harder time with these nominations and wins if it was actually submitted in the right category, which is DRAMA. 

Anyyyyywayyyy, season three of The Bear drops in like two weeks which is very good Emmys timing because it’ll be fresh in voters’ minds when they’re deciding on the Emmys (after the nominations) and even though technically they should be considering season two, the fact that season three will be so fresh will definitely play a factor. Unless of course season three sucks, which doesn’t seem likely with this team. 

Anyyyyywayyy part two…during this FYC season, we find Ayo Edebiri out on the promotional campaign for Inside Out 2, so she’s doing double duty, another bonus for The Bear. As Sarah wrote on Monday in her post about the premiere, Ayo plays Envy in the movie – and I love what she told Vogue about her approach to the character while wearing green… but not traditionally “envy” green, it was minty green: 

“I think a lot of that root emotion is actually adoration. And so I’m trying to come from that place of positivity to kind of spin the idea of the character on its head.” 

Exactly. That’s exactly right, especially in an adolescent brain. Envy IS adoration. Envying someone, or an experience, is about wanting, and wanting is adoring. Envy might lead us to questionable behaviour but here, for the purposes of how she’s playing her character, in the mind and heart of a young person, she’s taking out the judgement and replacing it with another emotion: empathy. 

Ayo is, as usual, so thoughtful. And a boss. Because her answer when asked about The Bear’s upcoming season was to promote… herself. 

“[Sydney’s] going to feel a lot [of emotions] so tune in. I’m excited for people to see the episode that I directed. I love the crew and I love our cast and so getting to work with them on that level was really moving.”

That is the correct answer. SHE directed. And she is her own best spokesperson. 

Here’s Ayo today at The View in a very ME outfit. The vest, the long skirt, the socks with the sandals! Everything here is hitting my personal style boxes, mixing and layering and offbeat and, above all, FUN.