Ayo Edebiri's Parents: All About “The Bear ”Star's Mom and Dad

'The Bear' star shouted out her parents during her heartfelt Emmys acceptance speech in January 2023

Get to know Ayo Edebiri's parents!

Born on Oct. 3, 1995, The Bear star is the only child of immigrant parents, who raised her in Boston, Massachusetts.

In contrast to Edebiri's life in the public eye, her mom and dad — whom Edebiri says she prefers not to name after a harassment incident several years ago — keep low profiles. However, the award-winning actress has spoken about them publicly on many occasions.

In fact, Edebiri shouted them out at the Emmys during her acceptance speech for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, hilariously calling herself a "bad kid" on stage because her parents weren't sitting next to her during the ceremony.

“My parents are here, they’re not in the cheap seats – they are not next to me, I was next to Carson Daly, he’s holding my stuff. I think Carson Daly still has my stuff. They’re in the row behind me, a little to my right,” she joked in the press room after her big win.

While Edebiri opened up on PEOPLE's pre-show livestream about what it's been like celebrating her achievements with her "tight-knit onscreen family," the only child is close with her real-life family too, giving several glimpses of their bond on Instagram.

Here's everything to know about Edebiri's parents.

Related: All About 'The Bear' Star Ayo Edebiri

Her parents are immigrants

While Edebiri was born and raised in Boston, her mother is from Barbados and her father is from Nigeria.

The actress posted a sweet tribute to her dad on Father's Day in June 2020, including an Instagram carousel of throwback images of the father-daughter duo paired with a lighthearted caption.

"Happy father’s day to my favorite heroic African. I stole my personality from him and that is the tea!!!!" she wrote alongside the post.

Related: The Bear Emmy Winner Ayo Edebiri Praises 'Found Family,' Jokes About Not Sitting by Her 'Real' Parents at Event

Her mom is a 'really incredible' cook

While Edebiri plays Sydney Adamu, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef and a Chicago native, on The Bear — and has racked up several prestigious awards for her portrayal of the character — she's spoken highly of her mom's cooking in real life.

“My mom is a really, really incredible cook,” Edebiri told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2022. She recalled how she always asked her mom to cook for holiday occasions, but her offer would often get denied.

"And now she’s like, ‘Ayo, when are you making something? What are you bringing? When are you going to cook for me?’ I’m like, ‘OK, so this is what it took.’” Edebiri joked.

Her parents 'encouraged' her initial pursuit to teach

Prior to pursuing a career in acting, Edebiri planned to study teaching during her time at New York University — a pursuit she told The New Yorker her parents "encouraged."

However, Edebiri had second thoughts two and a half years into her college education. Ultimately, she rerouted her studies to become a dramatic writing major. It was from that point on that her pursuit of a career in entertainment and comedy began.

When speaking with Gold Derby in December 2023, Edebiri said her dad "loves TV and movies." However, despite his interest, she said there was "definitely an element of, ‘What did you do for a long time?’"

Fast forward through her many successes in the industry, Edebiri says it's "now very comforting that they know what I do. They’re like, ‘Just to confirm, you won’t be moving back? You’re done? You’re good?'” she joked.

Related: Ayo Edebiri Fixing Rhea Seehorn's Makeup on the Emmys Red Carpet is the Relatable Celebrity Moment We Needed

She grew up 'very religious'

Edebiri grew up in a religious household and her family attended a Pentecostal church twice a week, according to The New Yorker. During an interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live in January 2023, she noted that she grew up "very religious."

She credited her grandmother for instilling those practices in her family, calling her a "staunch Pentecostal woman" whose "best friend is her pastor." Edebiri hilariously recalled the surprising moment her grandmother told her she watched The Bear — to which the actress described it as "the show full of swears."

Her parents joined her at the 2023 Emmys

Not only did Edebiri's parents accompany her to the 75th Emmy Awards in January 2023, but The Bear star gave them a special shout out when she accepted the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series during the ceremony.

"This is a show about found family and real family, and my parents are here tonight," Edebiri said in her speech. "I'm making them sit kind of far away from me because I'm a bad kid. But I love you so much. Thank you so much for loving me and letting me feel beautiful and Black and proud of all of that. I just love you so much."

"Probably not a dream to immigrate to this country and to have your kid be like, 'I want to do improv,'" she joked. "But you're real ones."

Following the ceremony, Edebiri and her parents attended the Governors Gala afterparty together where they all posed together with the trophy for photos.

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