Before her historic Emmy win, Ayo Edebiri was already a name on everyone’s lips following her breakthrough performance in FX’s The Bear, where she stars alongside two-time Golden Globe winner Jeremy Allen White. The Bajan-Nigerian-American and Boston native started her professional career as a stand-up comedian and later parlayed that talent into her path as a television writer. However, her spirited personality and charming wit were always destined for the big screen. Now, with both acting and writing credits to her name, Edebiri has the pleasure of calling herself one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. 

There’s no doubt she’s just getting started. So, ahead of the “55th NAACP Image Awards,” where she has the most nominations in the television and streaming categories, dive into five of the actress’ career-defining performances that prove why she’s one to watch.

Sydney Adamu / The Bear

Edebiri leads a chaotic group of chefs alongside White in this Emmy-winning Chicago-set dramedy, starring in it as sous chef Sydney Adamu. The FX series chronicles the ups and downs of this crew after promising chef Carmy (White) returns home ​​to run his family sandwich shop following a heartbreaking death. Through all the confusion and mayhem, Edebiri’s sharp-minded Sydney shines as a beacon of hope to hold him down.

Josie / Bottoms

In the queer teen comedy Bottoms, Edebiri takes her comedic chops to another level alongside her friend, collaborator, and New York University classmate Rachel Sennott. The two star as high school friend duo PJ (Sennott) and Josie (Edebiri) who, tired of not getting laid, cook up a scheme to start a "fight club" of sorts to hook up with cheerleaders before graduation.

Missy / Big Mouth

Before Edebiri was formally introduced to viewers in The Bear, she made a splash as the awkward brace-face Missy in Netflix’s animated coming-of-age series Big Mouth. The 28-year-old quickly made the role in the raunchy cartoon her own after Jenny Slate stepped down in 2020. In four of the show’s seven seasons and counting, Edebiri has bolstered the representation of girlhood in animation and shown how important it is for Black actors to voice Black characters.

Hattie / Dickinson

Arriving in season two of the Apple TV+ series, Edebiri stars as the Dickinson family maid, Hattie, a prominent supporting role created just for the actress after she joined the show’s writer’s room. Edebiri was a scene-stealer in the surrealist comedy, which follows a young, rebellious poet named Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfeld) and explores her relationships with friends, family, gender, and society in the 19th century.

Ayesha / Abbott Elementary

Halfway through season two of the Quinta Brunson-created sitcom, Edebiri makes a special appearance as Janine’s (Brunson) sister, Ayesha Teagues. The highly praised guest-starring role made a lasting impression on audiences who yearn to learn more about their favorite Philly teacher’s family. It even earned Edebiri one of her NAACP Image Award nominations.

The 2024 NAACP Image Awards air on March 16, 2024, at 8:00 PM ET/PT on BET and CBS.