Ayo Edebiri is an award-winning actress and writer who is best recognized for acting in movies such as Bottoms or the critically acclaimed show The Bear alongside co-star Jeremy Allen White. She is also Irelands newest sensation.
Surprisingly, Ayo is not technically Irish. She grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and attended New York University. So how was she claimed by the Irish?
It all goes back to last year when The Banshees of Inisherin was released when Ayo began making headlines for playing the iconic Jenny the donkey.
When jokingly explaining the role to the press she revealed she lived in Ireland for four months, and explained how far she went to commit to the role.
“I got really in character, I was on all fours for four months and it was really painful but beautiful as well,” she said.
The actress also went on to say “It was probably the most fulfilling part of my career” all while showing off her best Irish accent to the press.
Naturally, the Irish people became obsessed with her and claimed her as one of their own.
One individual on X while praising the actress referred to her as “the Irish people’s princess.”
Ayo has reciprocated her love, even thanking the country in her acceptance speech for her performance in The Bear at the Critics’ Choice Awards.
“To everybody in Boston, Barbados, Nigeria, Ireland in many ways, thank you so much.”
She showed even more appreciation for individual counties, giving her favourite places in the country their flowers on the Emmys red carpet.
“Shoutout to my people, shoutout to Derry, shoutout to Cork, shoutout to Killarney, shoutout to Dublin.”
While reading tweets from Irish fans she said “I’m aware generally of my connection to Ireland. I’m grateful for the tweets if they’re positive.”
Many Irish fans have even begun putting her in the same group as Irish stars like Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan, both of which had major success with their projects Oppenheimer and Saltburn respectively.
“Ayo Edebiri officially added to my Irish people shrine” said a fan of the star on X, putting her alongside other Irish figures in a collage photo.
Many people oblivious to the inside joke have been left wondering whether she’s Irish or not.
They have been left even more confused than before as waves of fans online are keeping up the joke that she is in fact Irish.
“I just love the factual fact that Ayo Edebiri is Irish and from Ireland” said a fan on X.
Regardless of the fact she isn’t technically Irish, she has become the nation’s pride and joy and will continue to be the nations claimed icon.