Spoiler alert! This story contains spoilers for all five seasons of The Bear, which can be streamed now with a Hulu subscription.

The Bear has served its final meal by way of an eight-episode fifth season that takes place almost entirely on one stressful, rainy day. I couldn’t help but binge through Season 5 as soon as it hit the 2026 TV schedule — especially after watching the standalone episode “Gary,” which is not required viewing but should be, because it’s great — and I was not ready for the emotions that hit me with all of the great callbacks to previous seasons.

The Bear Season 5 was hailed by critics as a return to form, forgoing tons of guest stars and drama outside of the restaurant to watch how the staff came together under seemingly impossible conditions for what might be one last night of service. As an eight-episode meal, I was fully satisfied, and it was the tasteful sprinkling of nods to its past that really put it over the top. Here were some of my favorites:

The ‘Original Berf’ Shirts Made A Big Comeback

The printing error that caused The Original Beef of Chicagoland T-shirts to actually read “Original Berf” may have been just another thing to go wrong for Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) back in Season 2. Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), however, knew all along that those were collector’s items, and they sure came in handy when a burst pipe sullied all of the chefs’ white coats in Season 5. As he said in his rousing pre-service speech:

I was so tickled to see those shirts on everyone for the rest of that night’s service.

Carmy Jokes About Getting Locked In The Freezer

A pivotal moment in Season 2 came when Carmy got locked in the walk-in freezer because he hadn’t gotten the handle fixed. He unwittingly ended things with Claire (Molly Gordon) and then got into a horrible shouting match with Richie. Thank goodness there was a locked door between them.

Season 5 showed just how far the “cousins” had come, as Carmy finds Richie in the freezer having a panic attack. He talks him through it, and as he turns to leave and give Richie some privacy, he pretends he can’t open the door, momentarily freaking Richie out even more. I was certainly fooled, and it leads to such a joyful moment between the two.

Sydney's Coca-Cola Short Ribs Saved The Day

The Coca-Cola-braised short ribs made their appearance in Season 1 as a dish that reminded Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) of her late mother. She worked with Carmy to perfect the balance on the dish, and it was lovely to see Season 5 open with her pulling out the ribs and Coke bottles to make the dish for the final family meal we’d see.

However, the ribs got an even bigger day in the sun when Carmy dropped the lamb dish that was supposed to go to the man they thought was responsible for deciding whether or not they’d get a Michelin star. Carm tells Sydney to serve the short ribs instead, saying they’re better than anything he’s ever made.

Sydney Finally Tells Carmy He Made The Beat Meal She’d Ever Eaten

Carmy’s praise of Sydney’s short ribs was really just returning the favor, because earlier in the service, he had prepared a serving of the lamb tonnato for her to try as a menu option. Without fanfare (but with very meaningful glances), they had this exchange:

• Sydney: Second-best bite I’ve had in a long time.
• Carmy: Yeah?
• Sydney: Yeah.
• Carmy: What was the first best?
• Sydney: I had this grapefruit scallop dish at Empire a few years ago.

We’d previously heard Sydney tell Marcus that’s how she ended up at The Original Beef, staging under Carmy, and we saw Carmy agonizing over that dish with Chef David Fields (Joel McHale) literally over his shoulder. However, this was the first time that it all clicked for Carmy.

Sugar’s Husband Craves Sydney’s Bolognese

If The Bear fans weren't convinced that Sydney earned her spot taking over for Carmy, Season 5 did everything it could to remind us how good she is. When the chef asks Sugar’s husband Pete (Chris Witaske) to help with the trash in exchange for her cooking him any meal he wants, Pete is quick to say, “Bolognese!”

It’s a super subtle reference, but think back to Season 3, when Sydney brought Sugar (Abby Elliott) and Pete a care package after Sugar had her baby. Amongst the items she brought them was bolognese, and clearly that left an impression on Pete!

You Can’t Keep A Carmy-Sydney Shipper Down

From the beginning there have been questions and very strong opinions about Carmy and Sydney and whether they would (or should) get together. There was so much tension between them that “Yes, chef!” became, like, the hottest thing ever. Ayo Edebiri consistently shut down that possibility, but how could Carmy’s mom Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) possibly know that? In a Season 5 wink to fans, Donna asks Pete, “Are they dating?” and Pete stammers a bit before landing on:

Say what you will, but I think that hug during Sydney and Carmy’s big emotional moment in the series finale was more intimate than any kiss. For me, their chemistry as colleagues goes deeper than romance.

Richie Calls Marcus ‘Cousin’

One of the more confusing aspects of The Bear’s first few episodes in Season 1 was that Richie and Carmy referred to each other as “Cousin,” only to reveal they’re not actually related. Richie was best friends with Carmy’s brother Mikey, and when Mikey died, it really was like they both lost a brother. They continued to call each other “Cousin” in good times and bad as a term of endearment, and in the end, Richie passes the nickname on to Marcus (Lionel Boyce).

Sydney and Richie may have been the ones put in charge of the restaurant when Carmy chose to step away, but the final episodes gave a strong indication that Marcus was the one Carmy was passing the torch to. In addition to inheriting the familial nickname, Marcus was also the beneficiary of Carmy’s journals, where he sketched dishes and worked out new creative recipes. It was a beautiful ending for one of The Bear’s best characters.

There were plenty of other moments that stuck out, and I can safely say that all of the anxiety and shouting and fretting and talking over each other was well worth it to see how The Bear served its last meal by bringing back so many of the dishes we loved the first time around.

Major spoilers for the final season of The Bear lie ahead, so proceed into this kitchen with caution, chefs.

The end is no longer near, it is here, as The Bear has reached the conclusion of its five-season run. While it’s sad that Christopher Storer’s Emmy-winning restaurant dramedy has come to a close, its final eight episodes leave viewers with a lot of cathartic moments to chew on (no pun intended). Among the sweeter scenes within the series finale is a particularly great moment between Carmy Berzatto and Sydney Adamu. Now, after having seen that, fans who’ve long loved these characters are in their feelings as am I.

A subplot within The Bear Season 5 involves Syd, Carmy and co. expecting a visit from an inspector, who could award them with a Michelin star (which would certify the quality of the establishment). The final episode, “The Original Beef of Chicagoland,” sees Carmy take a phone call from an unknown caller he’d frequently ignored throughout the season. Peter Clark is revealed to be the caller, and he not only reveals himself as the “Star Man” the team has been waiting for but that he actually visited the eatery months earlier.

Sydney later finds an emotional Carmy, who tells her about Clark and that he enjoyed the restaurant. Carmy then shocks Syd when he reveals that the restaurant has been awarded not one, but two stars. While the two initially play it cool, Sydney eventually leaves the kitchen and embraces Carmy with a passionate hug in the dining room. It’s a sweet sight, and fans aren’t holding in their emotions about it. Check out what some of them shared to X about what could be one of the best moments to grace the 2026 TV schedule:

• The Bear finally achieving Syd’s dream of becoming star holders. They didn’t get one but two stars and her hugging Carmy in thanks oh I’m so not okay. - @Archivesbym_
• The hug and then them pulling back and Carmy holding her face then them hugging again IM GOING CRAZY. - @mavellarke
• Dare i say this hug is somehow more intimate and romantic than a kiss. - @shivlestat
• SOMEBODY SEDATE ME this is happening woahh wow SYDCARMY NATION THEY HUGGED for a MINUTE!!! - @_delovetv
• The way he immediately drops the towel and runs straight to her is killing me. - @jawholic
• I can’t even put into words how much this scene means to me. They are so fucking proud of each other, and this hug was an accumulation of everything they have been through, separate and together. - @belqvedrue

At this point, I’m still on a high after seeing that hug between Carmy and Syd – who really have physical contact throughout the show – play out in real time. It’s a sweet moment and, as one of the social media users alludes to, it’s an earned public display of affection, considering what the two friends/co-workers have been through. The Bear has delivered some striking images and, for a show that can certainly make viewers feel anxious, it’s poetic that such a serene moment will now likely remain within the public’s consciousness.

What’s particularly notable about this scene is that for some time now, there’s been speculation regarding how Syd and Carmy’s relationship might develop. There have been those who’ve shipped them as a couple, while others believe it’d be a terrible idea to get them together. Syd actor Ayo Edebiri has also shot down romance assumptions, arguing that her character is not in love with Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy. Instead, she argues that the two have a kinship due to their shared passion for what they do.

I agree with Edebiri’s assessment, as the dynamic between Carm and Sydney has always read as platonic to me. Still, I’d argue that, thanks to that sweet hug scene, fans who fall on either side of the relationship debate should (hopefully) be satisfied. And, on a much broader note, that moment is just one of many reasons why this final season serves as a worthy send-off for the show. I’ll certainly miss the shots of tasty-looking foods, but it’s the characters and the firm bonds between them that I’ll miss the most.

Even though The Bear is done, fans can still revisit the show in its entirety using a Hulu subscription. And, if for some reason you’re reading this and have yet to watch the show at all, give it a try. You won’t regret it, chef.

This story contains NO SPOILERS for The Bear Season 5, which is available to stream now with a Hulu subscription.

The Bear has officially served up its final meal, dropping all eight of its Season 5 episodes on the 2026 TV schedule at once. At the end of Season 4, we saw Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) walk away from the restaurant, leaving it in the hands of Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Sugar (Abby Elliott). With no money, however, the future appears bleak, so is the comedy-drama able to provide an ending that will leave audiences full and satisfied? A look at the reviews and Rotten Tomatoes score is giving me early-season flashbacks.

How The Bear Season 5’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Compares To Past Seasons

Longtime fans of The Bear will be excited to know that the fifth and final season is rated a Certified Fresh 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, as of this writing. The Chicago-set series hasn’t seen numbers that high since its first two seasons, which received 100% and 99%, respectively.

I’d agree with the general consensus that The Bear was at its best in the beginning, when it quickly became one of FX and Hulu’s best original shows and started raking in all of those Emmy Awards. Seeing the stressful back-of-house operation may have been anxiety-inducing, but that energy was missed in the decidedly slower-paced third and fourth seasons.

The RT scores reflected that, too, with Season 3 earning 89% from critics, and Season 4 dropping to 84% (the audience scores were even less forgiving, rating them 54% and 68%, respectively).

If a 97% rating on Season 5 is an indication of a return to form in its final 8 episodes, sign me up! So what are the critics saying, anyway?

Reviews Say The Bear Season 5 Is A ‘Classic Recipe Done Very, Very Well’

The Bear Season 5 reviews came out before critics saw Episode 8, “The Original Beef of Chicagoland," but Clint Worthington of RogerEbert practically had his fill by the end of the penultimate episode, “Caramel” (and that’s not a bad thing). The critic notes how the focus had become too much on the guest stars, the needle drops, the Faks, etc. Season 5, however, feels as scaled back as the restaurant’s budget, en route to a satisfying finale. He writes:

Victoria Luxford of NME rates the final season 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a “bingeable buffet,” freed by the absence of an overarching storyline, which allows our food heroes’ stories room to breathe over the course of a single day. It’s “funny, gripping and jaggedly sentimental,” Luxford says, writing:

Benji Wilson of The Telegraph’s review of The Bear Season 5 gives it a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, writing that this season is “chaos incarnate,” sticking the landing by going back to what made us love the show in the first place. The critic writes:

These Rotten Tomatoes’ scores — especially combined with the critics’ feedback — have me flashing back to the chaotic intensity of The Bear’s peak seasons, and I can’t wait to jump into the final one. All eight episodes are available to stream now on Hulu.

If you haven’t checked out The Bear’s bonus episode “Gary,” an hour-long flashback starring Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who also co-wrote the episode, I implore you to do that before diving into Season 5. It’s not necessary in order to follow Season 5’s plot, but it is incredible and should not be skipped.

Then, you can dive into these last episodes that feel like they'll give a perfect goodbye to this beloved show.

If you’ve been looking for something offbeat to watch via Hulu subscription, The Sweet East just quietly landed on the streaming platform. The indie satire stars fan-favorite actors Jacob Elordi and Ayo Edebiri, which alone drives up the potential for it being an intriguing watch. But before you hit play, you might want to glance at the gap between critics and audience scores, because it is wild.

The film currently holds an impressive 82% Rotten Tomatoes score with critics. The audience score? Well, it's at a much rougher 53% on the Popcornmeter. Talk about a full-on divide.

Directed by Sean Price Williams, The Sweet East follows Lillian, a high school senior from South Carolina who gets separated from her classmates during a trip to Washington, D.C. From there, the movie turns into what’s described as a “picaresque journey” through cities and forests along the Eastern seaboard. Lillian drifts from one strange subculture to another, navigating what the film frames as the fractured unreality of modern America. Critics have largely embraced the chaos.

The Critics' Takes

Christina Newland of iNews praised the film’s structure, even while admitting it doesn’t always fully lock into place. She writes:

Catherine Wheatley of Sight & Sound leaned into its surreal tone. She said of the film:

Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph framed Lillian as a modern-day Alice tumbling through ideological rabbit holes. He wrote:

In short, critics seem to appreciate the ambition, the satire, and the swing-for-the-fences weirdness. Audience sentiment, on the other hand, told a very different story.

How Audiences Have Reacted

A gap between the Popcornmeter, which was rolled out in 2024, and critics isn’t exactly rare. A similar situation played out with the 2026 movie release Melania, as the documentary sparked controversial claims when some critics questioned whether the audience score was legitimate, though the platform pushed back on those claims. Now, The Sweet East is seeing a comparable divide between professional reviews and viewer reactions.

One viewer called it “one of the most pretentious and boring movies I have ever seen,” comparing it to a “bad A24 movie” and labeling the experience an “absolute chore.” Another dismissed it as “amateurish, film-schoolish writing” with unlikable characters. Several complained that the film becomes repetitive, with one frustrated reviewer noting, “The girl just keeps getting captured!”

Even viewers who wanted to like it admitted it didn’t quite gel. “I expected more but got less,” one wrote. Others argued that while the cast is strong, the script doesn’t fully deliver.

But it’s not all negative on the audience side. Some viewers clearly connected with it. One called it “funny, weird,” and enjoyable as a situation-to-situation coming-of-age story. Another praised lead actress Talia Ryder as “magnetic” and said they “laughed out loud more than a few times.” One fan even declared it “Absolutely a cult.”

That word might be the key. The Sweet East feels designed to divide. It’s episodic. It’s satirical. It pokes at political and cultural bubbles without necessarily offering a neat thesis. For some, that’s exhilarating. For others, it’s exhausting. And that tension is exactly what you see reflected in that 82% versus 53% split.

If you’re in the mood for something polished and straightforward, this may not be your pick. But if you like movies that wander, provoke, and occasionally test your patience, The Sweet East might be worth adding to your Hulu queue, if only to decide which side of the divide you land on.

Awards Season is officially upon us, and there are a number of exciting events coming down the line. This week, the 2026 Golden Globe nominations were announced, celebrating the very best in TV and film over the past year. But as always, there were some notable performances that were snubbed along the way. And there were four actresses of color in particular who I think deserved their flowers but weren't nominated.

The Golden Globe Awards are sometimes a prediction of future events like the Oscars. And with more categories (and the inclusion of television), there are a ton of noms to go around. But not every memorable performance gets recognized in this way, so I'm going to highlight four performances by actresses of color that were snubs (but still excellent).

Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

Sinners got a number of Golden Globe nominations this year, including big categories like Best Motion Picture and Best Director. And while Michael B. Jordan was honored for his two roles (deservedly so), not everyone in the horror movie's cast was so lucky. The actors were all great, but I would have loved to see Wunmi Mosaku honored for her compelling performance as Annie in Sinners (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription).

Ryan Coogler's vampire flick was one of the best horror movies in recent memory, and that scene where generations of music are playing in the Juke Joint was truly moving. But Mosaku was in many ways the heart of the movie, in addition to her character, Annie, being the only one versed in the supernatural. I just would have loved to see her get nominated for all that she brought to the modern classic.

Jennifer Lopez, Kiss of the Spider Woman

Kiss of the Spider Woman got a standing ovation at Sundance, so there was some hype around the movie musical ahead of its release... especially related to the performance given by Jennifer Lopez. Unfortunately, the movie was a flop at the box office, so odds are that not enough people got to see what the pop singer/actress/producer brought to the table in the Bill Condon movie. Having seen her work on the big screen, that's a real shame.

JLo is always captivating on screen, but she was on another level playing Ingrid Luna/Aurora/The Spider Woman. Her dancing is absolutely incredible, she sounds great, and does some truly dazzling musical numbers throughout the film's 128-minute runtime. I was holding out hope that the Globes would give her the credit she deserves, but that unfortunately didn't happen this year.

Ayo Edebiri, After The Hunt

After The Hunt was a buzzy movie ahead of its release (and prior to it becoming available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription). This is largely thanks to its trio of leading actors: Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri. Critics praised the performances, and I personally would love to see Garfield play a villain more often. And while Roberts did end up getting nominated for a Golden Globe for the project, I would have loved to see Edebiri get similarly recognized.

The star of The Bear is no stranger to major noms at this point, and she even won a Primetime Emmy for her role on the FX series. Her character Maggie is the emotional center of the story, with drama unfolding after she was assaulted by Garfield's Hank. Her performance was raw and moving, and I thought that since Roberts got nominated that Edebiri should have been similarly applauded.

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary is arguably one of the best comedies on TV right now. The show's a bona fide success, in no small part thanks to creator/ writer/ star Quinta Brunson. While the show got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Musical or Comedy Series, she wasn't recognized for her performance as Janine Teagues.

Janine is our protagonist on Abbott, and Brunson is charming and hilarious throughout every episode. What's more, her romance with Tyler James Williams's Gregory is our new version of The Office's Pam and Jim. Unfortunately, she didn't get a Golden Globe nomination this time around.

There's been a ton of conversation in recent years about diversity and inclusion in the entertainment world. The Golden Globes did end up nominating plenty of women and artists of color on the list, but I feel like the above performance by those four artists deserved their moment in the sun, too.

Filmmaker Luca Guadagnino has entertained viewers over the past few years with thought-provoking projects like Challengers, Queer and Call Me By Your Name. He undoubtedly aims to do that again with After the Hunt as it hits the 2025 movie calendar. Critics have seen the psychological thriller, and while they agree Julia Roberts is solid as a college professor with a secretive past, not all of them are on board with Guadagnino’s latest movie.

Julia Roberts stars as Alma Imhoff, whose protégée Maggie Resnick (Ayo Edebiri) accuses Alma's friend and fellow Yale philosophy professor Hank Gibson (Andrew Garfield) of assault. This leads to a dark secret of her own resurfacing. In CinemaBlend’s review of After the Hunt, Sarah El-Mahmoud says Luca Guadagnino has made another movie that feels like every frame is art, and the actors rise to the occasion. However, its substance is severely lacking, and she rates the movie 2.5 stars out of 5, writing:

Tomris Laffly of RogerEbert.com gives the upcoming LGBTQ+ movie 3 out of 4 stars, saying the script smartly reveals the depth of its trio of main characters slowly, which keeps us engaged and questioning their reliability as narrators. Julia Roberts’ performance is one of After the Hunt’s biggest rewards, Laffly says, and continues:

Nick Schager of the Daily Beast says movie lovers should “Skip This,” despite his calling it Julia Roberts’ best performance in years. It’s a “wannabe conversation starter,” Schager says, that introduces thorny issues but doesn’t explore them. The critic concludes:

David Rooney of THR says director Luca Guadagnino and screenwriter Nora Garrett seem convinced their exploration of power dynamics, thorny ethics and generational divide are current, but it actually feels quite outdated. The critic writes:

Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire agrees, giving it a C and saying the ideas feel ripped from another era and slapped into After the Hunt without actually having anything to say. The critic writes:

After the Hunt has garnered just 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, but despite critics’ issues with what the movie has to say (if anything), it sounds like Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield brought their A-games.

If this is one you want to check out, you may be able to do that now. After the Hunt opened in limited release on October 10 and will expand to more theaters with its wide release on Friday, October 17.

While I firmly believe When Harry Met Sally is one of the best rom-coms ever made, I don’t agree with Harry’s integral claim that men and women can’t just be friends. Sometimes, when I watch something where a man and a woman are friends, that’s all I want them to be, and that’s the case with Sydney and Carmy on The Bear. Ayo Edebiri agrees with that, too. However, many fans do not, and she recently gave a perfectly logical explanation about why she won’t change her stance.

For years, Ayo Edebiri has been explaining why Sydney and Carmy won’t be together. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, she addressed the topic again. She was asked how she views fans’ desire for her character and Jeremy Allen White’s chef to be more than friends, and in response, she said:

Since day one, I’ve thought these two didn’t belong together. With every passing season (which you can stream with a Hulu subscription), that belief becomes even more solidified for me.

Spoilers for Season 4 of The Bear are ahead!

Season 4 of The Bear, and that ending involving Sydney, Carmy and his choice to leave the restaurant, really put out any sort of ember that may have existed in terms of the possibility that they’d ever be something more than co-workers. The finale left them at a crossroads, and Sydney seemed betrayed by her professional partner's choice. Moving forward, I have a feeling that them even just being friends might be hard.

However, I guess others still think a romance could happen, and the Bottoms actress did say that the way people interpret the show, naturally, will be different. She explained:

While she noted that her interpretation could differ from viewers’, she also made her stance abundantly clear. She explained that the notion of them being romantically involved is “crazy,” and if anything happened, nothing good could come of it, saying:

I totally agree, there’s no way a romance would end well for Syd and Carmy. They both have a lot to figure out personally and professionally – especially after the events of the episodes that aired on the 2025 TV schedule. And they need to do that without adding a complex and, frankly, unnecessary element into the mix.

Let’s let Carmy be with Claire, and let Sydney live life how she wants, whether that’s with a partner or not. They both deserve to be happy, and they are not in a position to do that for each other romantically.

In Season 5, hopefully, they’ll work things out as business partners and friends so they’re on solid, healthy ground by the time Carmy either leaves The Bear or doesn’t. And that’s all. According to Ayo Edebiri, it won’t go past that point, and it’s for good reason, too.

Spoilers for The Bear’s Season 4 finale are ahead! You can stream the show in its entirety with a Hulu subscription.

The second I finished binge-watching Season 4 of The Bear after it dropped on the 2025 TV schedule, I was left with a lot to think about. The clock ran out of time, and it’s unclear how the restaurant will stay open. However, the biggest bombshell to me came when Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy told Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney that he’d taken his name off the partnership agreement and planned to leave.

Now, on the one hand, it’s clear Carmy needs to find his spark, and maybe the best way to do that is to put restaurants behind him. However, he also has a tendency to run away when he probably shouldn't. And after seeing him debate this all with Sydney in the finale, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what the right choice is.

On The One Hand, Carmy Needs To Deal With His Baggage And Find His Spark

While watching Season 4 of The Bear, I kept thinking about Carmy’s declaration to Mikey in the opening flashback regarding his dream of making a peaceful and joyful restaurant. Clearly, he hasn't done that, and this season, while on a quest to heal, he started to question if his work was worth it.

Seeing him find some semblance of a spark again outside the restaurant as he cooked for his mom and rekindled his relationship with Claire brought me immense joy. It also showed that Carmy was moving toward grappling with his demons and healing.

So, when he took his name off the agreement, I got where he was coming from. He wanted to take himself out to find himself, and he was aware of the trouble he’d inflicted on The Bear. He was attempting to remove the “hurdles” for everyone he loves, as well as himself.

However, He Also Can’t Run Away From His Problems

Now, after learning Sydney’s true feelings about her future in Episode 4 of The Bear’s fourth season, and seeing her go back and forth about leaving or staying, I get why she was distraught by Carmy’s choice. He’s the reason they’re all in this beautiful mess; the restaurant was his idea. Losing him would mean losing a key player in this business as well as a member of their family.

Sydney also sees this as another example of him self-sabotaging and sprinting away from his problems, as she yelled through tears:

Jeremy Allen White’s character has a track record of running away from things, and that’s not the right answer. Therefore, maybe he should stick around The Bear and find a way to love this all again.

For days now, I’ve been going back and forth about who is right here. On the one hand, Carmy has a point; if he’s lost his passion, he should go find it. He's got baggage he needs to work through, and taking a moment to reflect and heal could be great for him and everyone in his life. However, on the other hand, he’s the man behind The Bear, and most importantly, his family works there. If he leaves, he’d be running away...again.

Now, when the season ended, it was decided that the agreement would have Sydney, Richie and Nat’s names on it, and Carmy would stay until the restaurant was on solid ground. So, if the show gets a Season 5, I’d imagine Jeremy Allen White would still be in The Bear cast, and there’d be more discussion about whether Carmy should continue cooking or not.

I know I need them to keep this conversation going, because I don’t think there’s one perfect answer. This is a complex mess, and I see everyone’s points. So, hopefully, the debate can continue…

Spoilers for Episode 4 of The Bear’s fourth season are ahead! You can stream the new season in its entirety with a Hulu subscription.

Ahead of The Bear’s Season 4 premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, it was revealed that Ayo Edebiri and Lionel Boyce, who play Sydney and Marcus, respectively, had written an episode. That episode is titled “Worms,” and it’s all about Sydney. So, while speaking with Boyce, I asked him about penning the script for it, and he told me why singular bottle episodes like this allow us to see one of FX and Hulu’s best shows with “fresh eyes.”

In “Worms,” we get a glimpse of Sydney’s life outside The Bear. She goes to get her hair braided in the episode by her cousin Chantel, who is played by Danielle Deadwyler, and throughout its runtime, she debates whether she wants to leave Carmy and co. to work with Adam or stay at The Bear. It’s an eye-opening episode, where we really get a candid and new glimpse into Sydney’s life, and that was the whole goal, as Boyce told me:

Bottle episodes have become a staple part of The Bear. In Season 2, we got to see Richie reach new heights in “Forks,” and Marcus went to Copenhagen in “Honeydew.” In Season 3, we got a glimpse into Tina’s personal life in “Napkins,” and we spent an episode in the hospital with Sugar as she gave birth in “Ice Chips.” With each episode, we were able to develop a new and deeper understanding of each character, and this season, we 100% got that with “Worms” too.

What makes “Worms” even better is that it came directly from the woman who plays Sydney and Lionel Boyce, who is both a co-star and a really good friend of Edebiri.

To Boyce’s point, their story gave us some insight into Sydney’s family, introducing us to Chantel and her teenage daughter, TJ. We get to see Sydney interact with both of them, and when she’s left alone with TJ, we get to learn about a softer, more vulnerable side of the chef as she works through which restaurant to work at via a sleepover comparison.

For the first time, we finally got to see Sydney say everything she was thinking about this career decision and the true deep struggle she’s been having with it. As Boyce said, going back, this knowledge makes me view her actions a bit differently, and it 100% informed my understanding of Sydney’s choices in the back half of Season 4 as she chose to continue working at The Bear.

When I asked the Marcus actor about working on this episode with the Sydney actress, he noted that it was “a really cool experience,” and it helped him realize how much he knows about this show and these characters. So, getting to work on the show in a totally new way was fantastic, as he explained:

He also told me that working with Ayo Edebiri meant a lot too, because they’ve become such good friends and she’s someone he would like to “collaborate with for the rest of [his] career.”

In the end, these two members of The Bear cast wrote a miraculous episode of television. And like Boyce said, it does allow us all to see both Sydney and the show as a whole with “fresh eyes.” So, to go back and see if that’s true for you, you can stream the series in full with a Hulu subscription.

Did you ever think A24 and Barney would be mentioned in the same sentence? Yeah, me neither, but we’re now living in a world where the independent entertainment company is making a Barney movie with Mattel and Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya through his 59% Productions banner. The latest update on this upcoming A24 movie is that The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri has come aboard to work on Barney, and I already know which role I’d like for her to play in the loving purple dinosaur’s upcoming movie.

Let’s get the official information out of the way first: Edebiri has been tapped to write the Barney screenplay, and talks are also underway for her to star in it. A24’s Barney and Kaluuya’s involvement in it were announced back in October 2019, and a year later, he teased that he was interested to explore what happens when the song from the original TV show “I Love You” isn’t true. Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner stated (via EW) that the Barney movie will deliver a “completely new approach” to the title character that “will surprise audiences and subvert expectations,” and Mattel CEO Anon Kreiz described this approach as “fun, entertaining and culturally oriented. It will not be an odd movie.”

The original Barney & Friends TV series from 1992 to 2010 and featured numerous child actors frolicking about with Barney, Baby Bop and BJ, including Demi Lovato and Selina Gomez. Assuming everything works out with Ayo Edebiri acting in the project after writing it, that’s the kind of role I want her to play: someone who spent time with Barney as a kid and had a cheery outlook on life back then, but then grew up and became jaded by the challenges of adulthood.

Even though plot details are nonexistent for Barney, I have to imagine that if the story will involve the dinosaur coming back into the life of the main protagonist after years away. It’s similar to what was done with Winnie the Pooh and the other 100 Acre Wood inhabitants in 2018’s Christopher Robin. Edebiri would do a great job playing someone who’s been beaten down by life and could benefit from Barney’s positivity. At the same time though, she’d be evolved enough to know that one cannot simply ignore the unpleasantness that comes with everyday life that’s just not present in Barney’s world.

Some of the best A24 movies are R-rated, but like Barbie, another Mattel property film adaptation, I suspect Barney will be envisioned through a PG-13 lens. That leaves enough wiggle room to explore this subject matter in a deep way, but doesn’t make it inaccessible to younger moviegoers. Then it’s just a matter of knowing how weird Barney is going to get, because let’s face it, you can’t not have weirdness in an A24 movie. I’m confident that Ayo Edebiri’s script will find the perfect balance, and hopefully we’ll learn soon if she’ll also be lending her talents on camera for Barney.

We all have birthdays, and it is a scientifically proven fact (that I just made up) that all birthdays are better at Disneyland. The last time I went to Disneyland on my birthday, I interviewed Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, and that’s all the evidence I need to know this is true. Of course, going to Disneyland with Ayo Edebiri looks pretty fun too, as model and actress Kaia Gerber can recently attest. But right now, I just want to eat all the best food at Disneyland.

Kaia Gerber, daughter of Cindy Crawford and self-proclaimed Nepo Baby, recently celebrated her birthday at the happiest place on earth, alongside her brother Presley and the voice of Inside Out 2’s Envy, Ayo Edebiri. These guys know the score, as the Instagram pictures are a combination of ride photos, character photos, and most importantly, food shots.

Kaia Gerber is munching on a pickle, but no word on whether or not it was the famous first Disneyland pickle of the day or not. Her brother is going for the classic churro. The group clearly had a blast at Disney California Adventure, the best Disneyland Resort park. It’s a fitting place considering Ayo Edebiri was hanging out with them, and DCA is where most of the Pixar characters hang out.

Yeah, they went full Pixar here. Edebiri is rocking the Ratatouille headband. They got a picture with her Inside Out 2 co-star Anger. They went on Radiator Springs Racers. Based on the pictures alone it was all Pixar all the time.

Pickles are an under-appreciated delicacy at Disneyland Resort. They are served ice cold, which is exactly what you need on a hot day. They can also be found inside corn dogs, which is better than it sounds (just leave the peanut butter spread alone).

Honestly, DCA is the park to go to if food is going to be a major part of your Disneyland experience. The park, much like Epcot in the east, is the home of multiple seasonal festivals, and each one brings out an entirely new menu of limited-time options that are almost always worth checking out. The recent Pixar Fest included some amazing food, and expectations are high for the upcoming holiday season festival.

Although Edebiri briefly claims she was never on the trip. In the comments of Gerber's post, she says her reaction on Radiator Springs Racers is entirely out of character for her…

Whoever is riding Radiator Springs Racers, if it isn't Edebiri, certainly looks like they’re having fun. While the attraction is mostly a simple dark ride, it’s got some thrilling racing elements at the end that are quite fun for anybody who enjoys speed.

Nothing makes you want to go have fun at Disneyland like watching other people have fun at Disneyland. Can somebody who's there please send me a churro?

As expected, The Bear absolutely dominated the Emmy nominations. Actually, it dominated so hard that it broke a record for most nominations for a comedy. Obviously, it’s also probably going to win a lot of those awards too. While I love this FX dramedy as much as the next person, I think it’s a major issue that it’s probably going to win everything.

The Bear Received A Record-Breaking Number Of Nominations For The 2024 Emmys 

Coming off the heels of a successful Season 3 premiere on the 2024 TV schedule, Season 2 of The Bear received a record 23 nominations for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards. Here are a few of the show’s notable nominations:

• Best Comedy Series
• Lead Actor In A Comedy Series for Jeremy Allen White
• Lead Actress In A Comedy Series for Ayo Edebiri
• Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Liza Colón-Zayas
• Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Lionel Boyce and Ebon Moss-Bacrach

It also received nods for its production design, casting, cinematography, costumes, directing and guest stars (who include Olivia Colman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jon Bernthal, Bob Odenkirk and Will Poulter).

I’m sure many remember that The Bear absolutely devoured awards season last year. Jeremy Allen White took home award after award for playing Carmy, and his co-stars, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, both won Emmys, and numerous other trophies for their performances. Along with that, the show as a whole won over and over again.

Now, even more of The Bear cast and creatives are nominated, and it’s looking like it could completely sweep the comedy categories this year.

I Desperately Do Not Want The Bear To Win Everything

Let me start by saying this: This problem is not The Bear’s fault and I’m not mad about it because I don’t like the show. In fact, I love the show. However, I think the Emmys have an issue of always awarding the same series over and over and over again. We’ve seen it happen in the drama category recently as Succession made it so it felt like no other shows got a spotlight on them. And I fear this is going to happen to the comedy categories now.

The Bear is great and award-worthy. However, the shows it's nominated with – Abbott Elementary, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building, Palm Royale and Reservation Dogs in the overall comedy category, among others in various acting and other categories – are also fantastic!

The Emmys really need to share the wealth here, and it can’t do that by giving The Bear everything.

When I look back on my favorite performances of the year, I’m more inclined to note Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder’s dynamic, emotional and funny performances in Hacks or the cast of Abbott Elementary’s brilliant work over some of the nominated performances in The Bear. Both shows were firing on all cylinders this season, and their ensembles hit a new level of fantastic. Plus, shows that have never won Emmys in the big tentpole categories, like Only Murders in the Building and Reservation Dogs, served up excellent new seasons that were incredibly smart and award-worthy.

I’m a big believer that talents like Einbinder, Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Selena Gomez, Steven Martin, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and more deserve just as much love as The Bear.

It’s no fun to give one show all the awards. As a viewer, it gets repetitive and boring, and I find that it also makes it so fewer series get the attention they deserve.

Obviously, I’d love to see the FX/Hulu dramedy take home a few trophies. However, I think it’s important that more brilliant shows get recognized than just the one. So, Emmy voters, if you are reading this, when you are filling out your ballots consider all the nominees, and maybe show multiple love rather than just one, because they are all brilliant.

Spoilers for the Season 3 finale of The Bear are ahead. If you haven’t watched the show yet, you can stream it with a Hulu subscription.

When Season 3 of The Bear ended, my first thought was “That can’t be it.” Not only was I unsatisfied with the cliffhanger, but it also felt like we were right in the middle of all the action. We were getting to the climax of the season where Sydney revealed her job offer and Carmy read the review. However, neither of those things happened. So, I immediately started thinking that this might not be the last time we see new episodes of this show on the 2024 TV schedule. Now, Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s latest comments have added fuel to this ongoing theory I’ve been thinking about.

Quite some time ago, rumors came out (via Deadline) that Seasons 3 and 4 of The Bear were being filmed back-to-back. Considering the popularity and acclaim of the show plus the star power of its cast, that wouldn’t be surprising. However, the ensemble has been reluctant to talk about whether those extra episodes are really a fourth installment or not. Now, Moss-Bachrach’s comments about everything they filmed have me wondering if that “To Be Continued” card at the end of this season was telling us that we only got the first half of Season 3.

What Ebon Moss-Bachrach Said About The Next Episodes Of The Bear

While we still don’t really know how things will proceed following The Bear’s finale (which let me down), Ebon Moss-Bachrach did confirm that they filmed more than the ten episodes we saw. When he spoke with Mr. Porter, he explained that they ended up filming more than they initially planned:

So, yes, he said “two seasons.” However, it feels like this is all one big cohesive chapter, and we stopped in the middle of it, not the end. Maybe, what we get next could be a Season 3B.

Moss-Bachrach continued to explain that they filmed 18 episodes this time around, and as you likely know, we've only seen ten of those. The actor said:

Also, as the story notes, Moss-Bachrach “thinks” they shot Seasons 3 and 4 together, but they did not confirm that that’s the case, and that, my friend, is suspicious.

I Think They’ll Surprise Drop The Second Half Of Season 3

My theory about all this began when I attended The Bear’s press conference for CinemaBlend, and the cast was asked about the reports that they filmed Seasons 3 and 4 together. They wouldn’t give a straight answer about what’s to come, as you can see by the responses Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Abby Elliott gave to the question below:

Jeremy Allen White: We did something like that.

Ayo Edebiri: Yeah, a little version of it, sort of. But not exactly.

Jeremy Allen White: Not exactly.

Ayo Edebiri: Is that helpful for journalism?

Abby Elliott: You'll have to find out.

As I noted, the second I finished binge-ing The Bear, I didn’t feel like it was over. Yes, both seasons that came before have ended on cliffhangers, but they also ended a chapter definitively. Season 1 closed out with them deciding to open The Bear, Season 2 saw them open the restaurant, and Season 3 gave us the result of the review and their work…but not really…there's still so much to do.

So, it stands to reason that we could get a Part 2 to Season 3 so we can find some closure. It's filmed, the story lends itself to that format, and it would explain these confusing answers about what's coming next.

Of course, I could be completely wrong, and maybe that was the end of Season 3, and the next installment of one of Hulu’s best shows will be a totally new Season 4. However, as Moss-Bachrach said, they didn’t want to feel constrained, and so they decided to make more. That signifies to me that a Season 3B could be coming.

Plus, no other season has ended with a “To Be Continued.” Season 1 ended with “The Bear is coming” written on the door, but it wasn’t a cut-and-dry “more is coming” like the end of Season 3 was.

So, when you mix Ebon Moss-Bachrach's comments about filming 18 episodes with the ambiguous press conference comments, I can’t help but think that I might be onto something.

However, we won’t know until we get official word from The Bear itself.

To go back and watch the first three seasons of The Bear, and see if you agree with my theory that we might be getting a part two sooner than later, you can do so with a Hulu subscription.

If there is anything the internet is always obsessed with, it is Ayo Edebiri. Between her critically acclaimed projects, her style and her long-running bit about being Irish, it seems like she’s always trending. And since both Dune Part 2 and The Bear Season 3 premiered this year, we got an unexpected crossover moment between the two, and fans can’t get over how perfect it is.

Since starring in The Bear, Edebiri and her work have skyrocketed to fame, as she's appeared in multiple critically acclaimed movies and TV shows, including Inside Out 2 where she voiced Envy. But she’s a comedian at heart, and therefore is always cracking jokes and impressions in interviews.

In a recent edition of The Vanity Fair Game Show, The Bear cast put Chef Sydney’s skills to the test. While trying to guess Edebiri’s go-to karaoke song, her co-stars kept yelling out unserious answers, one of them being the Dune theme. The Bottoms actress went along, nailing a perfect impression of the sound, which broke the whole cast into laughter, as you can see below:

The Hans Zimmer score for the well-reviewed Dune: Part 2 recently went viral on TikTok, along with the most dramatic 1-minute cameo of Anya-Taylor Joy in the film. In the edit, The Menu actress is dressed in robes, turning dramatically to stare at the camera with piercing blue eyes. People on the internet have been making jokes trying to mimic it ever since, but I think Ayo has them all beat. I need to see her version of the theme over that clip ASAP.

But I’m not the only one who appreciated her pop culture reference. Fans had the best reactions to the Theater Camp actress imitating the clip, and here are some of the best comments from Film Update's post about the video on X (formerly Twitter):

• Hans Zimmer is SHAKING -Cameo
• Hans? OUT. Ayo? IN. 😭😭😭 -ladidaix
• The more I see of Ayo the more I love her, how can you not stan. -Bleach4lyfe8
• I could watch this on loop all day -GeorgeWine
• THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT NOW, ZIMMER -grandpairoh
• Ayo’s such an amazing talent. -english_shamar

Even Warner Brothers, who produced Dune, chimed in on X, clearly impressed, writing:

A lot of the comments wanted to make it clear too that they want the upcoming Dune 3 to include The Bear actress. I’d seriously consider it if I were them. I mean, she’s proven she can successfully do drama and comedy and now sci-fi too! I think this comment from @JackDMurphy on X perfectly sums up what we are all thinking:

No, there’s not, because she even directed an episode in the latest season of The Bear that recently premiered on the 2024 TV schedule, and fans are saying it is one of the best episodes of the show. You can watch the episode “Napkins” and the entire season now with a Hulu subscription. 

Then, to go and see just how spot-on her Dune theme recreation was, you can stream both parts of the sci-fi epic with a Max subscription. 

The Bear has been a brilliant spotlight highlighting the immense acting talents of star Ayo Edebiri – who has earned widespread acclaim for her role as Sydney Adamu – but in Season 3, the show gives her a different opportunity to showcase her special skills. She makes her directorial debut with the sixth episode of the new run, titled "Napkins, and unsurprisingly, it's one of the best of the bunch. It's a new hat for her to wear in the industry, but it doesn't seem as though it's going to be the last time she dons it, as she apparently loved the experience.

During a recent press conference for The Bear Season 3 (which is now available to stream with a Hulu subscription), Ayo Edebiri was asked about her first time in the director's chair, and she gushed about the opportunity and her collaborators. Said the actor-cum-director,

SPOILER WARNING: The rest of this article contains light spoilers for The Bear Season 3. If you have not yet watched episode 6, proceed at your own risk!

The episode "Napkins" specifically focuses on the backstory of Liza Colón-Zayas' Tina Marrero and how she ended up working at The Beef. Beginning in 2018, we re-meet Tina as she gets laid off from her job and goes on the hunt for new employment. She faces rejection everywhere she goes, but she finds herself wandering into The Beef and has a wonderful meeting and conversation with Mikey Berzatto (Jon Bernthal).

It's a story that provides wonderful insight into Tina as a character and should make rewatching early seasons of The Bear interesting as we have a deeper understanding of her loyalty to Mikey and the classic way that The Beef operated under his leadership.

As for how Ayo Edebiri ended up helming that specific episode, she noted that making her directorial debut is something that she had discussed with showrunner Christopher Storer prior to Season 3. She also noted that she wasn't the only special guest filmmaker for the run:

Continuing, Edebiri said that the producers had an idea who they wanted to direct which episodes, but when it came to the idea of having her take "Napkins," they were very much on the same page. She said,

It certainly worked out well, and this surely won't be the last time we hear about Ayo Edebiri exercising her talents behind the camera.

As noted, all 10 episodes of The Bear Season 3 are now available to stream, and to learn about what else is coming to the small screen in the weeks and months ahead, be sure to consult our 2024 TV Premiere Schedule.

I know I might make a lot of you mad when I say this, but I passionately believe Carmy and Sydney should NEVER be romantically involved in The Bear. Ever since the Chicago-based restaurant dramedy premiered, there’s been a passionate group of fans who want the lead characters of The Bear cast – Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri – to be together, and I’m here to say, I think that’s a terrible idea.

So, now that Season 3 of The Bear has dropped on the 2024 TV schedule, and it just further proved my point about Sydney and Carmy, now feels like the right time to do a deep dive into why these two characters should never, ever fall in love.

I’ve Always Liked Carmy And Sydney’s Complicated Friendship

One of my favorite dynamics when it comes to The Bear’s characters is the relationship between Carmy and Sydney. Sometimes they have a mentor and mentee kind of vibe, other times they’re business equals, occasionally they seem like real friends and all of the time it’s interesting to see how they’re working together to help their business succeed.

In Season 1, we saw Carmy mentoring Sydney (or at least trying to) while they ran The Beef. In Season 2, we saw them work as collaborators, creating the menu for The Bear and running the new kitchen. And in Season 3…well, things got complicated, and we’ll talk about that later.

Basically, these two have always grown together in the confines of the business, and through that, a lovely (and complex) friendship has been created. This relationship is at the heart of the series, and it's one of the reasons why it’s one of Hulu’s best shows. Adding romance into this would make it worse because I don’t think it’s logical and if anything it’d make the show more stressful.

The Show Is Already Stressful, We Don’t Need A Workplace Romance Complicating Matters

The last thing I want to see is a doomed relationship.

I know some fans think there’s chemistry between Carmy and Sydney, and I know they’d love to see them kiss. That one moment might be great for them, however, if a romance like that continued on the show, there’s no way it’d be fun to watch.

Even in happy comedies like The Office, Parks and Rec and Abbott Elementary, workplace romances make matters complicated before they get better. Take the stress and tension you felt during those and turn the dial all the way up, and that's what we'd get on The Bear.

A workplace romance in The Bear is just asking for more chaos. I don’t think anyone at this restaurant could handle a relationship with someone they also work with, especially Sydney and Carmy. They run the business, they constantly butt heads, and if you add romance into that equation, I’m positive it wouldn’t end well, therefore, I don’t think I’d ever want to see it.

The series is already incredibly stressful, I don’t need to see Carmy and Sydney trying to navigate a romantic relationship too. Plus, after seeing how Jeremy Allen White’s character treated Ayo Edebiri in the latest season of The Bear (which you can stream with a Hulu subscription), there’s no chance they could maintain a healthy romantic relationship at all, in my humble opinion.

Here’s your chance to stop reading if you haven’t seen Season 3 of The Bear! We’re about to get into the weeds of the Emmy-winning show’s newest episodes.

What Happens Between Carmy And Sydney In Season 3, Made Me Believe They Could Never Be Together 

As Jeremy Allen White said, Carmy’s mentality is “challenging,” to put it lightly, this season, and it deeply impacts everyone on the show, especially Sydney.

In the first few episodes, Carmy gives everyone non-negotiables, which involves changing the menu every day. So, all that hard work Sydney and Carmy put into their menu last season was essentially thrown out the window. Then, as the season goes on, when she tries to ask him something or tries to give input on the menu or a decision for the business, she gets shut down.

By the end of the season, both characters seem like shells of themselves, and I think it’s because Carmy has unintentionally tried to control everything so much that it’s made his employees, especially Sydney feel un-cared for in the workplace.

Sydney is considering leaving, she hasn’t signed the business agreement because of how controlling Carmy is, and it’s also the thing that is straining their partnership and friendship.

At this point, a romance between these two is completely out of the question. There’s no way it could happen now, and even if they get back to a place where their relationship is healthy, it should never be romantic. That’s because on top of this simply not working for this show and these characters, it’s also so important to see platonic friendships and partnerships on television.

It’s Important To Represent Platonic Friendship And Partnership On TV

One of my favorite friendships on Ted Lasso was Ted and Rebecca’s. The owner and head coach of AFC Richmond went from being co-workers to really good friends, and they were such great support systems for each other. While fans really wanted Tedbecca to happen romantically, and the show even teased Ted and Rebecca in Season 3, it never happened, thankfully.

Seeing platonic and professional friendship is vital, and it’s not something we see often enough. I think it’s important to see men and women being friends and developing important bonds that aren’t based in romance. Ted Lasso did it, so why can't The Bear?

While I love a romance – I’ve been shipping Gregory and Janine on Abbott Elementary since day one – I also adore seeing two people be really good friends who support each other and help one another succeed. That’s what Carmy and Sydney can be, and I think it’s what they want to be.

We’ve gotten a taste of how powerful Carmy and Sydney’s friendship is, and how they can truly help each other achieve their goals. Romance would ruin that, as we’ve discussed. It’d take the focus off their professional relationship and goals, and that’s the last thing I want to see.

Watching them find success together with The Bear is one of my favorite elements of the show, and I can’t bear to see it ruined (even though it’s currently at a breaking point in the show) because of unnecessary romance.

At no point has it really felt like Carmy and Sydney could be a romantic couple, and I’ve never wanted it. Plus, as Vulture compiled, Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White have said it will never happen many times.

While I know fans want it, and as much as I love Carmy and Sydney as a duo, I will never be able to ship them as a couple.

In my humble opinion, The Bear is one of the best shows available on TV at the moment… if not ever. Now that the show is back on Hulu for a third season, we are finally able to learn how running a new restaurant is mentally affecting Carmy’s daily life, and whether or not it will impact his ongoing relationships with Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Claire (Molly Gordon). Off screen, however, we were curious how involvement in a show like The Bear would change the way that the cast views restaurants themselves, and the normally enjoyable act of eating out. Once you have seen how the sausage is made – and how a reputable joint is run – are you able to treat a meal any differently?

We got first-hand insight from the cast of The Bear themselves during a recent press day ahead of the drop of The Bear Season 3. They had strong opinions on how to view the season (the Binge, or the Pace), but lightened up when the conversation shifted to eating out. More than anything, it seems like working on The Bear have given the cast a newfound respect for the establishment’s workers, as Ayo Edebiri told CinemaBlend:

Once you have played someone who is working day and night to deliver the best dining experience possible, you 100% want to lighten the load of the servers who are doing it in real life. This rings especially true for Abby Elliott, who plays Carm’s sister “Sugar” on the show. Natalie occupies the role of Mother Hen at the restaurant, so it wasn’t that surprising that she saw the question from the point of view of a mom, explaining:

To which The Bear star Jeremy Allen White summed up:

Thanks to The Bear, I now also have a hypersensitivity to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” the way that meats and fish are sliced, and Jon Bernthal, in general. Then again, I was late to The Bear, and had no idea how emotionally attached I would get to each and every character. But I’m not alone in this, as the show basically has been cleaning up on the awards circuit from the moment it made its debut. We will be curious to see how The Bear Season 3 is received now that it has dropped, so dive in and enjoy if you have a Hulu subscription and the time to watch.

All ten episodes of The Bear’s third season just dropped on the 2024 TV schedule, and now fans are faced with the question of whether they should binge it all in one go or savor it over the course of weeks. With this series in particular, it’s not an easy choice to make. However, the cast shared their thoughts on how one of Hulu’s best shows should be consumed, and I 100% agree with Ayo Edebiri’s take.

These days, shows are released to us in all kinds of ways. HBO and Max love a weekly release for hits like House of the Dragon and The White Lotus. Netflix has been digging the two-part drop for shows like Stranger Things and Bridgerton. Networks are still rocking with the week-to-week. And some streamers are keeping the binge model as their bread and butter, which is what Hulu and FX have done with every season of The Bear.

Over the course of this Emmy-winning dramedy's run, there’s been talk about whether it should be a week-to-week release, as many episodes could have major moments if they could have the spotlight to themselves for a whole week. However, we have access to all the episodes, and with that comes a choice: to binge or not to binge. During a press conference for the new season that CinemaBlend attended, Ayo Edebiri weighed in on this debate saying:

Did you comprehend that? You can use your Hulu subscription however you please, and she’s 100% right. If you want to watch the cast of The Bear yell at each other and work on their restaurant for hours on end, be my guest. Or, you can take the Sydney actress’s route, and spread them out a bit.

Personally, with The Bear, I have to pace myself a little bit, as she explained, but I still roll through the episodes in a matter of days. However, that’s my prerogative, it doesn’t need to be yours.

If binge-ing it is your ideal way to watch, you’ll love what EP and Neil Fak actor Matty Matheson had to say on the topic, as he told us:

Jeremy Allen White also admitted that he watched seven episodes of Season 3 in one sitting while on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

As you can see, they all have their own ways of watching their show, which they’ll passionately explain, and you should too.

Heading into Season 3, we know we’ll be dealing with Carmy’s “challenging” mentality as he works to perfect his restaurant, and we’ll see how all his employees and partners work with (or against) him to achieve that goal. Whether you want to watch that story in one bite or watch Season 3 of The Bear spaced out, it’s up to you. Like Ayo Edebiri said, “You have autonomy.”

Ayo Edebiri is one of our brightest young stars, which is why she was one of the hosts for SNL Season 49. It was an honor to host the iconic sketch show, but it also uncovered a pretty awkward situation between her and musical guest Jennifer Lopez. Apparently, Edebiri made some disparaging jokes on a podcast a few years back about the "Let’s Get Loud" singer, a situation that The Bear star deeply regrets. 

Edebiri is the recent cover star of Vanity Fair, in which she was interviewed about her newfound success and the upcoming and highly anticipated third season of The Bear. The actress was also asked about her hosting stint on SNL and the awkward interaction with Lopez that it created. She addressed her past comments, saying that the situation it caused felt silly considering her position as an up-and-coming comedic actress, and JLo’s status as a superstar. The Emmy-winner said of their “beef”: 

The comment in question was made by Edebiri in 2020 on the Scam Goddess podcast, where she said that Lopez’s career was a scam and that she doesn’t actually sing her own music. Once it was revealed that she and Lopez would be headlining SNL together, the comments quickly resurfaced. 

The Bottoms star took matters into her own hands right away, and she apologized to the Hustlers actress. SNL even found a way to acknowledge the scam comments in one of the sketches, having Edebiri say a line warning others to be careful what they say on podcasts. 

After receiving the apology, JLo was, to her credit, gracious about the situation. She also said she wasn’t affected by the comments, and detailed how terrible Edebiri felt about her words. It seems like the beef has been squashed, and there isn’t any bad blood between them either. 

Lopez has been in the hot seat herself, and famously made some disparaging comments about other actresses early on in her career. So, it makes sense that she would give the young star grace, especially considering the Theater Camp actress was so apologetic. 

Even though this whole debacle seems to be done with, it does feel like a lesson to up-and-coming artists in Hollywood. The 28-year-old made the comments before The Bear took off and she was launched to stardom, and clearly she didn’t think that it would matter much in the long run. 

Tina Fey even referenced the situation when warning Bowen Yang to be careful who he talks about on his podcast, considering Yang is also getting more and more famous. It’s a tough line to walk, especially in the social media age when everything can resurface, but I think Edebiri definitely learned her lesson. 

You can check out Ayo Edebiri in The Bear with a Hulu subscription when it returns for Season 3 on June 27th. For more information on other exciting series returning to the small screen this year, make sure to consult our 2024 TV schedule. 

Would it be The Bear if my heart rate wasn't through the roof every time I watched it? No. Thankfully, that part of the show won't be changing when it premieres on the 2024 TV schedule – despite the restaurant finally being in the place Carmy dreamed of – as we saw the finest of food and the chef spiraling in the Season 3 trailer for the Emmy-winning dramedy. 

In our first comprehensive look at Season 3 of The Bear, we saw Jeremy Allen White's Carmy set his non-negotiables for the restaurant and the chaos that ensued after that. Between his business relationship with Sydney, the ever-unpredictable actions of characters like Richie, and his rocky romantic relationship, it seems like the owner of The Bear is spiraling more than usual, which is saying a lot, and I’m very nervous about it.

In every season of this show, we've seen Carmy struggle with perfectionism and control. Now that his restaurant is open, he's focusing on the little details and leaning into his declaration at the end of Season 2 that he is going to commit fully to his job. All this stress was amplified in the new trailer, and I am so anxious about the breaking point he'll hit as he puts too much pressure on himself and his staff. 

While that tension makes for great TV, it also makes the show nerve-wracking to watch. As Fak said “the vibe is weird,” and seeing Carmy and Richie fight about the size of bowls was enough to make me stop and take a few deep breaths, and that was only the trailer. Imagine the kind of chaos that’s about to ensue in the season.

As we’ve seen before, Carmy is surrounded by characters in The Bear who challenge and fight him. During The Bear’s Season 2 finale, Carmy got stuck in the walk-in – which was the subject of many jokes about Season 3 – and Richie and Sydney ran the show. In this new season, I think these three will clash when it comes to how the restaurant should be run, and Jeremy Allen White’s character will freak out more than he has in the past, despite the fact that the food looks delightful and he has what he’s been yearning for.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach told me that Jeremy Allen White is brilliant in the role of Carmy because he plays the tension that constantly plagues his character so well. It’s an internal battle for the most part, however, when he explodes it's scary. We all remember what happened in “Fishes,” if there’s a stressed-out Berzatto, we should all be nervous. 

This trailer seemed to allude to the chef reaching a serious breaking point over control of his restaurant. Between the trauma he got from working in other fine dining establishments and his family history that’s littered with chaos and tragedy, it makes sense that he’s striving for perfection at The Bear. However, that drive that he thinks will help him succeed seems like it will ultimately be his downfall.

So, it’s unclear if this tension will turn the restaurant into a diamond or if it will cause its demise. However, you better believe that I can’t wait to witness it, even though I’ll need to monitor my heart rate throughout.

We'll find out what happens to Carmy and co. and if he reaches a terrible breaking point when The Bear becomes available to stream with a Hulu subscription on June 27.

The Year of Ayo Edebiri is joyfully chugging onward, as the award-winning actress-comedian has added yet another high-profile project to her already jam-packed schedule — and this one's a time-travel movie to boot. The thought of one of the best comedic performers working today exploring the sci-fi genre already had my interest piqued, but now reviews are officially rolling out, Omni Loop is one I'm really starting to get excited about.

When she wasn't busy nabbing 2023 Emmys (and 2024 Golden Globes, and Critics Choice Awards) for her work on The Bear, or making us all crack up in movies like Bottoms and Theater Camp, or riling everyone up with photos alongside fellow "Irish" icon Paul Mescal (is it an Emily Henry rom-com or what?!), Edebiri somehow found time to film Omni Loop, a sci-fi dramedy that adds a bittersweet twist to cinema's time-travel tradition. And it's already raking in some seriously impressive critical kudos. 

Following its world premiere at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, March 13, the flick already has a picture-perfect 100% Fresh rating on the film-review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with eight sterling write-ups from outlets like Variety, THR and Deadline. Since the film hasn't actually hit theaters yet outside of his festival premiere, we're still awaiting that all-too-telling audience score but getting the highest possible Rotten Tomatoes rating from critics is a pretty good indicator that Omni Loop is one to check out. 

In the Bernardo Britto-directed flick, Mary-Louise Parker plays Zoya Lowe, a Miami-based quantum physicist who is stuck Groundhog's Day-style reliving the last week of her life following a terminal diagnosis. Edebiri plays Paula Campos, a young scientist that Zoya enlists to help her solve time travel in order to go back and be the person she always wanted to be. 

Along with Edebiri and Parker, the cast is rounded out by Hannah Pearl Utt, Chris Witaske, Carlos Jacott, Harris Yulin, Steven Maier, Riley Fincher-Foster and Eddie Cahill.

Among those stellar Rotten Tomatoes write-ups, many highlighted the great chemistry displayed by the movie's two leading ladies. Dex Wesley Parra echoes that sentiment at The Austin Chronicle, writing that Omni Loop "captures lightning in a bottle" by casting Edebiri and Parker together, "two generations of outstanding actress delivering pensive, soul-stirring performance."

And, mindbogglingly, there's even more where that came from for Edebiri. Along with the — thus far — critically acclaimed Omni Loop, the actress's 2024 movie schedule will include the animated sequel Inside Out 2 (she'll play the emotion Envy) and the upcoming A24 movie Opus, a horror film written and directed by Mark Anthony Green and co-starring John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis and Amber Midthunder. 

There will also, of course, be more The Bear: Season 3 will catch up with Edebiri's Sydney, Jeremy Allen White's Carmy and the rest of our favorite Chicago cooks when the hit series returns on FX this June. (Bookmark our 2024 TV premiere schedule for an exact date.) 

In the meantime, I'm going to be keeping an eye on that Rotten Tomatoes score and counting down the days until we get to see Omni Loop in theaters or on streaming. 

Easily, two of the fastest-rising stars right now are Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri. Between the actor leading the highly anticipated Gladiator 2, and the actress going into Season 3 of The Bear, a show she’s won so many awards for, that point has become abundantly clear over the last year. Now, it seems like the two might be starring in a rom-com together, and the internet is convinced it will be for an adaptation of one of Emily Henry’s books after seeing how the author interacted with the actors’ viral St. Patrick’s Day post. And if this rumor proves to be true, I know exactly which story they should be a part of. 

Why Fans Think Ayo Edebiri And Paul Mescal Will Star In An Emily Henry Rom-Com 

So, here’s the lowdown on how this speculation regarding Ayo Edebiri and Paul Mescal starring in one of Emily Henry’s upcoming book-to-screen adaptations started: After the actors’ photo took the internet by storm, the best-selling author reposted it on her Instagram story: 

That immediately started the speculation, but fans got even more excited when Yulin Kuang, who has been hired to pen the adaptations of both Beach Read and People We Meet On Vacation, reposted the image as well, as you can see via @boywthebread post on X:

Then, other fans, like @girlflopping, remembered that Tango, the producers of Aftersun (a film Paul Mescal got an Oscar nomination for), are attached to adapt her third book Book Lovers:

Lastly, fans also remembered that a while back Paul Mescal told Awards Watch that if he were to do a rom-com, he’d want to do one with Ayo Edebiri, saying:

All of this put together is cause for a lot of excitement, especially for us Emily Henry fans, as many posted things like:

• emily henry what script is it what are u up to -@skyefiIes 
• can’t tell if ayo and paul are starring in people we meet on vacation or beach read but i just realized emily henry should just have them play in both -@shanainparis 
• ARE WE FR GETTING THEM IN AN EMILY HENRY MOVIE?!?!?! -@CourtneyColen 
• if these two actually will in any form be part of the emily henry cinematic universe … i will become the most annoying person to ever exist -@onlyangel444 

Like all these fans, I’m thrilled about all this, and I really hope it’s true. As it stands, it’s possible that Edebiri and Mescal could star in any of the three aforementioned adaptations. However, the one I’m rooting for is People We Meet On Vacation. 

I Think They Should Star In The Adaptation Of People We Meet On Vacation

While I think Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri would kill it as any of Emily Henry’s couples, they’re best suited for Alex and Poppy from People We Meet On Vacation, in my humble opinion. 

In the friends-to-lovers romance – which is a trope used in one of Paul Mescal’s best projects Normal People – Henry bounces between two timelines, telling the story of Poppy and Alex’s annual vacations and the present where they’re facing the consequences of the last trip they took. Considering both actors are in their late 20s, they’re perfect to play these parts that jump across lots of timelines. Plus, they have the same energy as the leading couple of this bestselling book.

For context, Alex is kind of shy and a homebody, but he’s fully himself around Poppy. Mescal is known for playing quieter thoughtful characters (like Connell in Normal People), and I think he'd kill it as Poppy's love interest. Meanwhile, Poppy is a “wild child” (as the back of the book describes her) travel writer. Looking back on Ayo Edebiri’s best work, we know she has the range to pull off anything. Plus, in real life, she seems to be confident and outgoing as well as incredibly witty. I think she’d be a fantastic fit for Poppy. And most importantly, I think Edebiri and Mescal would be a literal match made in heaven.

Overall, I think People We Meet On Vacation is the perfect rom-com for Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri to be a part of. I can see them now hilariously bantering and flirting on their trip to Palm Springs as they work through their past and complex feelings for each other. 

Hopefully, we’ll learn sooner than later if these rumors about them starring in an Emily Henry rom-com are true. In the meantime, I’ll be re-reading People We Meet On Vacation with Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri in mind, and then re-watching them in my favorite projects of theirs, Normal People and The Bear, respectively, with a Hulu subscription. 

Ayo Edebiri has had quite the year and is one of the buzziest Black comic actresses taking over Hollywood. She has accepted a number of awards for her performance on FX's The Bear and made a splash in the summer raunchy comedy Bottoms. The actress seems to be having a blast with her newfound career success and was hilarious amid the awards circuit. She spent a lot of time playing into the running Ireland bit that has permeated the Internet, where she has doubled down on jokingly pretending to be Irish. And the gag continued this St. Patrick’s Day, when she posted a picture celebrating with actual Irish actor Paul Mescal. No big deal, right?

As a rising star herself, it’s no surprise that Ayo Edebiri would be spending time with other big up-and-coming Hollywood celebs. She has been spotted hanging out with Paul Mescal a number of times, and the Aftersun actor even revealed he wanted to do a rom-com with Edebiri. Their bond is adorable, and they seem to have a good time together. Even though Mescal's growing number of movie and TV projects keeps him busy, this friendship seems to be going strong. Edebiri posted a photo of the two seemingly spending St. Patrick’s Day together. You can see the post from her Instagram story below:

This photo is absolutely adorable. Both are smiling big and laughing like someone just told a great joke. They're also sitting on cool stone steps that remind me of some European architecture. Maybe the actors actually went to Ireland to celebrate a festive St. Patrick’s Day. Though they aren’t wearing green, so maybe this photo was taken a while ago and the Theater Camp actress wanted to celebrate the day by highlighting one of the very best Irish actors. Regardless, they're too cute, and I’d love to see more pics from this outing. 

Not only do I love this duo, but I'm living for Ayo Edebiri continuing to play into the long-running bit, in which she asserted her deep connection to Ireland. It all started last year when the comical actress jokingly claimed in an interview with Letterboxd that she played Jenny the Donkey in Banshees of Inisherin, which ends with the adorable creature meeting a grim fate. During the interview, she hilariously goes in and out of an Irish accent and asserts that she's also Irish, which she is not. The Internet latched onto this as, every time the success of Irish actors like Cillian Murphy or Barry Keoghan are mentioned online, people make sure to include Edebiri in the conversation.

This bit all seemed to come to a head when she thanked the country of Ireland when accepting her Critics' Choice Award for The Bear. Actual publications from Ireland congratulated the actress as well, even calling her one of their own. The star is actually from Dorchester, Massachusetts, a neighborhood outside of Boston. That city is actually known for its deep connections to Ireland and its many Irish-American residents, so maybe he acclaimed actress isn’t too far off. She hangs out with Paul Mescal and has street cred with the country, so I think this should make her an honorary Irish citizen. Regardless, I love this bit and, hopefully, an Ireland-set rom-com with Paul Mescal is the next project added to Ayo Edebiri’s already prolific filmography. Fingers crossed.

You might not be able to actually see the comedian in The Banshees of Inisherin, but you can see her on The Bear, which is currently streaming for Hulu subscribers. She's also set to reprise her role as Sydney Adamu for Season 3, which should be available to stream later this year. Additionally, fans can check out Paul Mescal in his latest film, All of Us Strangers, which is one of the best movies available on Hulu.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to big screen adventures and live-action shows available with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Thunderbolts, which will feature an ensemble cast full of Marvel antiheroes. The cast list of Thunderbolts includes Geraldine Viswanathan, who replaced Ayo Edebiri after a scheduling conflict got in the way of her appearing. And her latest funny take on replacing the Bear star shows just how close the two actresses are. 

What we know about Thunderbolts' contents is limited, so discourse and rumors surrounding the project are all over the internet. Both Steven Yeun and Ayo Edebiri ended up having to drop out of the project due scheduling issues connected to the movie's strike-related delays. But the latter actress is friends with her replacement, and Viswanathan spoke to THR about their relationship, saying:

Now that's friendship. And it seems like the bond shared between the pair really encouraged Viswanathan to take on her buddy's role in Thunderbolts. We'll just have to wait and see exactly what that character gets up to in the forthcoming blockbuster. 

While some moviegoers might be bummed about Ayo Edebiri dropping out, especially given her recent Emmy win for The Bear, it's heartening to see how close she and her replacement are. And I'm eager to see how Geraldine Viswanathan's performance plays out on the big screen for Thunderbolts. 

The specifics of the role itself are largely a mystery, but it was reported that Viswanathan's unnamed character will be an assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus'  Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The Seinfeld icon has appeared in a number of Marvel projects like The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as well as the Black Widow credits sene. But Thunderbolts will be her first starring role, and it looks like we'll also be meeting more members of her team like her assistant. 

It's been years since Avengers: Endgame was released back in 2019, and the MCU as a whole hasn't had a ton of crossover moments since then. Thunderbolts will offered a change in this regard, but instead of heroes uniting we'll be seeing a number of former villains form the titular team. And since Avengers 5 just got a title change, Thunderbolts might be all the more vital to the shared universe as a whole. 

Thunderbolts is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 2nd, 2025. While we wait, check out the 2024 movie release dates. 

Ayo Edebiri’s star has steadily risen within Hollywood as of late and, as a result, she now seems to be one of the most highly sought-after actors in the industry. The Emmy-winning performer recently notched another major accomplishment, as she served as a Saturday Night Live Season 49 host. Jennifer Lopez was tapped as the musical guest for that same evening and, in the lead-up to the telecast, past comments made by Edebiri about Lopez resurfaced. The comedian apparently referred to Lopez’s career as “one long scam.” Now, JLo has shared her feelings on the sentiments and revealed the conversation she and Edebiri had about them. 

The Bear star made the statements while appearing on a 2020 episode of the Scam Goddess podcast. She chastised the “On the Floor” singer’s musical prowess and questioned just how much she contributes to the tracks she produces. Jennifer Lopez herself has never really been one to mince words either. But, when speaking to Variety about the statements, she offered up a calm response, as she said the critiques didn’t bother her. As for why that was the case, she explained: 

When you’ve been in the industry as long as JLo has, it’s likely that you develop thick skin. She certainly has her fair share of admirers, but she’s definitely not immune to any sort of hate. In short, it would seem that at this point in her career, the celebrated entertainer is choosing not to sweat the small stuff. On that note, it sounds like Ayo Edebiri was very apologetic over everything that went down. The Shotgun Wedding star revealed that she and the young star had a heart-to-heart at sometime before their SNL episode was broadcast:

Ayo Edebiri has been quite self-deprecating when it comes to the buzz surrounding her resurfaced remarks. She actually addressed the scam comments in a sketch she did during her Saturday Night Live hosting gig and did so in a clever way. Edebiri was also tied to some advice that Tina Fey gave to SNL star Bowen Yang. A clip shared to Instagram showed Fey advising Yang (on his podcast) not to give hot takes in public due to his rising star status. Edebiri dropped a comment on the post saying, “LEARN FROM ME.”

All the while, Jennifer Lopez continues to be booked and busy and is about to release her new album, This Is Me... Now, which has an accompanying movie. She’s been celebrating amid the occasion, at one point, even rocking a little black dress to do so. Her performance at SNL was also well-received, though a fan did see a piece of her hair falling out mid-performance. 

Following their joint appearance on the NBC staple, JLo and Ayo Edebiri seem to be cool. It goes without saying that there have been similar instances like these involving Hollywood stars, which got messy. So it’s honestly sweet to see that the two actresses were able to hash it all out in this case.

When Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers started their podcast Las Culturistas in 2016, they didn’t expect people to listen. However, now that Yang’s star is rising quickly since he's part of one of the best Saturday Night Live casts and Matt Rogers is gaining fame for his hilarious Christmas specials, it’s becoming evident that what they say on the internet has an impact. So, when Tina Fey appeared on the show, she gave them some advice about getting famous and making hot takes public, using Ayo Edebiri’s comments about JLo as an example. Now, The Bear star has weighed in on it, too.

What Advice Did Tina Fey Give Bowen Yang?

During a segment of Yang’s Las Culturistas podcast called “I Don’t Think So Honey,” where guests can pop off about whatever they’d like, Tina Fey got real. While her comments were very funny, she also held no bars in giving the SNL cast member advice when it comes to publicly sharing opinions. She started it off by saying:

The point she’s making here is that if you scrutinize a project on the record, it’s possible for it to impact your career down the road. The Mean Girls creator then went on to reference Yang’s status as a member of the Wicked cast, and how that will impact how people see him: 

Mentioning Yang’s upcoming role in the massive Broadway adaptation as well as Ayo Edebiri’s viral comments indicates just how real Fey was trying to be when it comes to how public opinions, especially controversial or hot ones, never disappear. 

The three then dove into a conversation about how fans react to them when they share their opinions about various pop culture topics. They also noted that not only can this affect the public’s view of them, but it could also impact their ability to get jobs, as Fey said. Then, when this clip was posted on social media, Edebiri shared her thoughts on the matter. 

How Did Ayo Edebiri Respond To Tina Fey’s Advice For Bowen Yang? 

Before we get into what the 2024 Emmy winner said about Fey’s comments, let’s take a few steps back, and remember what happened around the time that she hosted an episode of SNL’s 49th Season. 

In the days leading up to the broadcast on the 2024 TV schedule, quotes from a 2020 podcast interview resurfaced, in which Edebiri questioned JLo’s career, calling it “one long scam.” Well, Jennifer Lopez was the musical guest that week, and during the show, the Bear star addressed the drama in a fun way. 

So, getting back to Fey’s comments, the clip from Las Culturistas was posted to Instagram by Yang. After Fey directly mentioned Ayo Edebiri and what she said about JLo, the Bottoms actress weighed in, commenting:

It seemed like Yang and Rogers took this advice from Fey to heart, as the conversation that followed was very sincere. Considering the big year ahead for the SNL performer, it makes sense that he appreciated Fey’s words.

At the end of the year, Bowen Yang will appear in the highly anticipated Wicked: Part One, and on top of that, he’ll continue as a regular and beloved player on Saturday Night Live. So he likely does need to heed this advice as more people start to listen to him, and through this clip, it seemed like he really got a lot out of what Tina Fey told him. 

To see everything Bowen Yang is up to right now, and to witness how much his star has risen, stream episodes of Saturday Night Live with a Peacock subscription, and you’ll be able to catch Wicked in theaters when it premieres on the 2024 movie schedule on November 27.

There have been a few blockbusters based off Disney theme park attractions, but none have been quite as successful as the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Johnny Depp starred in a whopping five movies over more than a decades (which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription), but it's been a few years since it's been in theaters. But the House of Mouse is developing two different Pirates projects, and it's rumored that a star of The Bear is being approached to play a major role. Namely, recent Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri. 

The House of Mouse has its work cut out for it for the action/adventure franchise, especially since Johnny Depp reportedly isn't returning as Captain Jack Sparrow. It should be interesting to see what talent ends up occupying that world, and according to scooper Daniel Richtman (via CBM) Edebiri is being approached to play a character named Anne in one of the two developing blockbusters. Unfortunately, not much is known about who that character might be. 

Per this report, Ayo Edebiri is being approached to star in a developing Pirates movie by Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin. This is not the Margot Robbie-led flick, but the other possible Disney blockbuster. Hopefully more information about this pair of Pirates projects is confirmed sooner rather than later.  

This possible casting news comes shortly after Edebiri dropped out of Marvel's Thunderbolts due to scheduling conflicts. And after recently winning an Emmy for her acclaimed performance in The Bear, smart money says plenty of big offers are going to be coming to the 28 year-old actress/comedian. Just look at Ayo Edebiri's acclaimed SNL hosting performance.

Moviegoers have been super curious about the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise lately, partly due to Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's viral legal issues. It's hard to imagine the property without Jack Sparrow, but that's apparently what we're going to get. That is, assuming that either or both of the developing movies actually move forward into the production process. If Edebiri's rumored casting ends up becoming official, this could be a massive step forward. 

While it would have been awesome to see the Bear star in the MCU for Thunderbolts, it looks like she'll be get the opportunity to join other major IPs, either on the small or silver screens. She recently voiced the role of April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which is streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription. She was also part of the voice cast for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, one of MJ's friends and bandmates. 

Only time will tell if Ayo Edebiri actually ends up starring in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. While we wait for notice from the studio, be sure to check the 2024 movie release dates. 

This year marked a historic moment in the Television Academy’s history, as two Black women became 75th Emmy Award winners by taking home trophies for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy in the same year. Of course, I’m referring to Quinta Brunson’s lead actress win for Abbott Elementary and Ayo Edebiri’s supporting actress title for The Bear. So, thinking about this historic moment, and all the magnificent Black women working in comedy today, we’ve compiled a list of Black actresses who we can’t wait to see take over Hollywood.  

Quinta Brunson

Over the course of Abbott Elementary’s run, there’s been a lot of talk about how Quinta Brunson and her team at ABC are helping save network television. As the creator, showrunner, executive producer, writer and, oh yeah, star of the comedy, I’d say this incredible woman is the biggest reason why Abbott Elementary is such a hit. 

After years of working on comedies like A Black Lady Sketch Show, Brunson broke big with Abbott, and even though the show hasn’t been on long, she’s cemented herself in television history as a prolific comedy writer, actor and producer. 

Ayo Edebiri

Ayo Edebiri burst into the mainstream in 2022 with Season 1 of The Bear. However, 2023 was the year where she took over, because her role in The Bear’s cast elevated her and she won an Emmy for playing Sydney, she was the co-lead of the Bottoms ensemble, she was part of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem voice cast, and she starred in Theater Camp, too. And that was only in one year.

Along with all the work I just listed, this powerhouse comedian also voices roles in the beloved comedies Big Mouth and Clone High. She’s also a writer, producer and stand-up comedian. 

Ayo Edebiri isn’t just poised to take over Hollywood, she actively is. 

Jessica Williams

The world really became aware of Jessica Williams when her film The Incredible Jessica James -- which she starred in, wrote and produced -- came out in 2017. After that, she had supporting roles in the Fantastic Beasts movies and comedies like Booksmart. She then went on to star in Max’s Love Life, and these days she is in the stellar Apple TV+ comedy, Shrinking, alongside Jason Segel and Harrison Ford. 

What I’m saying is we should all be paying attention to this powerhouse comedy actress, because Williams has proven herself over and over again, and her star consistently keeps rising higher and higher.

Issa Rae

Issa Rae created, wrote, produced and starred in HBO’s hit comedy, Insecure, which is an incredible TV show led by Black women. After her incredibly successful series came to a close in 2021, this actress started to expand her work in film, playing parts in Vengeance, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and American Fiction. Most notably, when it comes to Rae’s film career, she played President Barbie in the cast of Barbie, 2023’s highest-grossing film. 

So, not only is she a renowned producer, writer and actress, she’s also a movie star in the making. 

Danielle Brooks

If you need a triple threat, look no further than Danielle Brooks. Star of stage and screen, this actress became a well-known name after starring in 89 episodes of Orange is the New Black as Taystee. After that, she landed roles in movies here and there, and then she became a series regular in the cast of James Gunn’s DC series, Peacemaker. Soon, she found herself among 2024’s Oscar nominees for her performance in the musical drama The Color Purple. 

She can do drama, she can do comedy and she has the voice of an angel. If you aren’t watching Danielle Brooks’ work, you’re missing out. 

Ego Nwodim 

Ego Nwodim has been a mainstay on Saturday Night Live since 2018. This comedian and the modern cast of SNL have done some amazing, genius and stupid sketches that have us rolling over with laughter – like “Rap Roundtable” and “Lisa from Temecula.” She’s proven herself over and over again throughout her years on the sketch comedy show, and like the actresses who have come before her, like Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, she’s poised to take over the comedy space.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph 

Da’Vine Joy Randolph has been consistently working since 2013. However, her break-out moment came in 2023 when she starred alongside Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers. As an Oscar nominee, she’s now being recognized for her dramatic and comedic talents, and I can’t wait to see her in leading roles. 

Before this big moment, she played memorable supporting roles in shows like Only Murders in the Building and High Fidelity. Now, it’s her time to shine!

Janelle James 

If there’s one character I want more of in Abbott Elementary, it’s Principal Ava Coleman, played by the incomparable Janelle James. Before joining Brunson’s series to play the unconventional principal, James was doing stand-up comedy, and she was working as a writer and voice actor on Central Park. Now, the world has become aware of her impeccable physical comedy and her hysterical one-liners, and we can’t wait for more.

Michaela Coel 

Michaela Coel introduced herself as a television triple threat with her comedy, Chewing Gum, back in 2015, as she starred, wrote and produced the series. She then became huge with her beloved dramedy, I May Destroy You, in 2020, which, guess what, she also wrote, starred in and produced. Now, she’s starred in massive films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Honestly, if you aren’t watching Michaela Coel’s movies and TV shows, you are seriously missing out. 

Nicole Byer

As the host of one of Netflix’s most refreshingly non-toxic reality shows, Nailed It!, Nicole Byer has become a household name. On top of her wholesome and hilarious hosting, she’s also a talented comedic actress, and she has played roles in iconic shows like The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Not to mention, she’s also a stand-up comedian. What can’t Nicole Byer do?

There are so many incredible Black comedic actresses working right now, and it’s been incredible to see all these women grow into stars. Now, they’re all set to take over Hollywood, and we can’t wait to see it happen!

The Bear cast is made up of colorful and unique characters, from the loud-mouthed Richie and the more cool-headed Sydney, to the eager-to-learn Marcus and the veteran chef Tina. At the center of this kitchen-based craziness is Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy Berzatto, the award-winning chef who returned to Chicago to take over his brother’s restaurant, and as of the Season 2 finale is now running a new dining establishment.

As Hulu subscribers know all too well, Carmy keeps a wide circle of people in his life, between the members of his family, which are comprised of both blood relatives and longtime friends, as well as the staff he works with on a daily basis and various other individuals with whom he has special ties. We’re here to talk about these most prominent of The Bear characters while we wait for news on The Bear Season 3 and continue relishing how the show netted six wins at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Spoilers from the first two seasons of The Bear are included in this article...

The Berzatto Siblings

Every primary character in The Bear is tied to the Berzatto siblings in one form or another, and in the main cast, Carmy is joined by his sister, Abby Elliot’s Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto. Then there’s their brother, Jon Bernthal’s Michael “Mikey” Berzatto, who died by suicide four months before the events of the series premiere episode. We’ve gotten to spend some time with Mikey thanks to some flashbacks in Season 1 and the tense “Fishes” episode from Season 2, and in the present day, Carmy and Sugar are co-owners of The Bear restaurant, which finally opened in the same-named Season 2 finale.

“Cousin” Richie And His Ex-Wife Tiffany

Although not tied to the Berzattos by blood, Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richard “Richie” Jerimovich has been tight with this family for many years thanks to having been Mikey’s best friend. He even admits in “Forks” that Donna Berzatto was more like a mother to him than his own mother, so he’s more than earned the right to be called “Cousin” throughout the show. Then there’s Tiffany, Richie’s wife played by Gillian Jacobs. The two were still married in “Fishes” and had their daughter Eva shortly thereafter, but they’re divorced in the present days, and in “Forks,” Tiffany told Richie that she was engaged to a man named Frank.

Sydney, Marcus and Tina - The Bear’s Core Kitchen Staff

They’re not members of the Berzatto family, but these characters certainly aren’t important to The Bear’s narrative. Chief among this particular trio is Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney Adabu, who joined The Beef as a sous-chef at the start of the show after her catering business failed. After The Beef fell under, she stuck around to help develop The Bear restaurant, becoming its chef de cuisine. Lionel Bryce’s Marcus and Liza Colón-Zayas’s Tina Marrero worked at The Beef back when Mikey was still alive, meaning they go way back with Carmy too. At The Beef, Marcus is in charge of deserts and Tina works as the sous-chef.

Ebraheim And Sweeps - Other Important Kitchen Staff Members

Although Edwin Lee Gibson and Corey Hendrix’s characters aren’t series regulars like the other kitchen staff, they’re nonetheless important members of The Bear, with both Ebraheim and Gary “Sweeps” Woods also having been around at The Beef when Mikey was running it. Granted, Ebraheim did disappear when he and Tina were tasked to go to culinary school in Season 2, but he eventually resurfaced and has resumed his duties. Hopefully these two will have more prominent roles in Season 3.

“Uncle” Jimmy And His Wife Carol

Jimmy “Cicero” Kalinowski was the best friend of Carmy, Sugar and Mikey’s dad when he was still alive, hence why he’s referred to them, as well as Richie, as “Uncle.” He loaned Mikey $300,000 for The Beef, and even after that unspent money was finally found, he lent an additional $500,000 to Carmy, Sugar and Sydney for The Bear, though the restaurant has to pay off the $800,000 debt within 18 months time. Jimmy is married to Maura Kidwell’s Carol, who can briefly be seen in a few episodes.

Pete - Sugar’s Husband

If The Bear has a consistent punching bag, it’s Pete, Sugar’s husband who’s played by Chris Witaske. He means well and is consistently trying to impress, but he’s nonetheless the target of many jabs, insults and teases from his wife’s family members and friends. Pete did get a chance to shine in the Season 2 finale when he noticed Donna (who we’ll talk about next) outside the restaurant and tried to get her to come in. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, and to make matters worse, Pete accidentally revealed to his mother-in-law that he and Sugar were having a baby, something he assumed Donna already knew about, but wasn’t the case.

Donna - Carmy, Sugar And Mikey’s Mother

In “Fishes,” we met Jamie Lee Curtis’ Donna, Carmy, Sugar and Mikey’s mother who was preparing the Christmas dinner that year for her extended family (there’s a wild story behind the actress getting the role). It soon became clear that Donna was in trouble between her erratic mood shifts and alcoholism, and by the end of the episode, she crashed her car into the house. In the Season 2 finale, Donna showed up at the opening of The Bear restaurant, but only interacted with Pete, as she decided at the last minute that she didn’t deserve to witness her children’s success, plus was taken aback by the news about the baby.

Brothers Neil And Theodore Fak

Like Richie, Neil Fak, played by Matty Matheson (a real-life chef), is a childhood friend of Mikey Berzatto, but he and Richie were constantly at odds with one another, and that hasn’t changed in adulthood. As a mechanic, Neil was often around The Beef to fix things up, and he played an integral role in the construction of The Bear. We spent some time with Neil’s brother Theodore, played by Ricky Staffieri, in the episodes “Fishes,” “Omelette” and “The Bear.”

Michelle - The Berzatto Siblings’ Cousin

Sarah Paulson guest-starred in “Fishes” as Michelle Berzatto, cousin to the Berzatto siblings. In addition to being one of the many witnesses to that night’s craziness, she approached Carmy about staying with her in New York in order to get some distance from his nuclear family. While we know Carmy did move to The Big Apple and became a sous chef at a three-star Michelin restaurant, it’s unclear if he took Michelle up on her offer.

Stevie - Michelle’s Boyfriend

Michelle brought her boyfriend Stevie along for the family dinner in “Fishes,” and you could tell John Mulaney’s character was easily entertained by everyone around him up until the actual meal started. This included Neil and Theodore hitting him up for money with their investment in baseball cards. It’s unclear if Stevie and Michelle are still together during the show’s present day events.

“Uncle” Lee

Although Bob Odenkirk’s “Uncle” Lee Lane is Jimmy’s business partner and Donna’s on-and-off again boyfriend, he’s a far cry from being the most beloved member of the family. He and Mikey got into an ugly spat in “Fishes,” which was prompted by Lee giving him grief about sharing the same story over and over again. This escalated later when Mikey started throwing forks at Lee during the meal, prompting Odenkirk’s character to start insulting Mikey’s life choices, addiction problem and more. In the present day, Carmy doesn’t think highly enough of Lee to consider him an “uncle.”

Claire, A.K.A. Claire-Bear

Molly Gordon’s Claire, a.k.a. Claire-Bear, was pretty close with the Berzattos, Faks and Richie when she was growing up, enough to the point that she referred to Richie as “cousin” during Season 2. However, she started to drift apart from them as they all got older, and she eventually became a resident in emergency medicine. She and Carmy were particularly close in their youth, and while Mikey and Richie tried to set them back up together in “Fishes,” they didn’t reconnect until Season 2. Unfortunately, the two appear to now be broken up due to what happened in the Season 2 finale, though that’s not to say we’ll never see Claire again.

As The Bear continues, we’ll surely meet more members of this family, and maybe there will be opportunities from for guest stars to return too. Keep visiting CinemaBlend for news about The Bear Season 3 and the other best Hulu TV shows.

Ayo Edebiri’s hosting turn on Saturday Night Live got a little awkward in the week leading up to the big day after comments she made about Jennifer Lopez, the woman she was sharing the SNL stage with, resurfaced. In them, she called JLo’s career “one long scam” and questioned both her singing voice and her work ethic. Well, SNL has never been a show to quietly ignore drama; so, to the surprise of no one, the popular sketch comedy show gave Edebiri an opportunity to address them in a really funny, if you know you know kind of way.

The moment in question happened during a game show called Why’d You Say It? In it, unsuspecting contestants were confronted with comments they left on Instagram and asked to explain why they said it. Edebiri’s character was asked to account for her behavior after she left a comment saying “die” on a Drew Barrymore social media post, and she gave a longer answer that addressed running her mouth on a podcast when you’re twenty-four and stupid. You can watch the entire sketch below…

The comments came on a podcast called Scam Goddess back in 2020, long before the actress rose to mainstream success on The Bear. Edebiri was talking about Jennifer Lopez with host Laci Mosley when she launched into a diatribe about JLO’s career being a scam. She questioned her singing voice and talked about her voice not being featured very prominently on many of her own tracks. The comments didn’t receive much attention at the time, but when she was announced as the SNL host with Jennifer Lopez as her musical guest, snippets of what she said starting reappearing on TMZ and other places.

Of course, it’s also worth noting that Edebiri didn’t actually apologize for anything she said in the comments, she apologized for being dumb and saying them without understanding the ramifications. That’s a clear difference and one many on social media have been picking up on. In fact, many on social media are taking clips from the ending of SNL and trying to dissect the body language to figure out if JLO is mad at Edebiri. They definitely do not hug each other like they do many others on stage, but ultimately, we have no idea what either one of them are thinking.

As one of the biggest stars in the world, Jennifer Lopez clearly has plenty of experience with people talking about her and saying unkind things. I can’t imagine you ever get entirely used to it, but I would imagine the impact has softened over the years. That being said, random Twitter users yelling about you is a little different than celebrities you’re sharing a stage with.

Regardless, Edebiri performed well as SNL host in her first opportunity, and JLO crushed it as musical guest. So, whether there’s lingering hard feelings or not, both women delivered and kept it professional.  

The recent writers and actors strikes caused all sorts of problems for movies that were in production, and those that were hoping to be. Release dates for many projects had to be shifted around, due to delays in production, and it appears those delays are now forcing actors to drop out of projects they had previously committed to. Two actors have now had to leave Marvel Studios Thunderbolts ahead of production getting underway, but that has led to big opportunities for the stars replacing them.

One of those stars is Geraldine Viswanathan, who is taking over an as-yet unrevealed role in Thunderbolts from Ayo Edebiri. Edebiri had a scheduling conflict that forced her to leave, and Viswanathan took to Instagram to thank her for being so popular that she had to leave something open.

It looks like Geraldine Viswanathan is very excited to be joining Marvel Studios, so it's a big opportunity that she now has because another actress was unavailable. It likely wasn't an easy decision for the first actress to leave. Edebiri had said she was excited to be part of Thunderbolts previously.

We don't know what role Edebiri was set to play, so we don't know what the long-term implications are for Viswanathan, but there's a decent chance that the young actress just walked into significant job security through a long-term Marvel Studios deal.

Ayo Edebiri was the second actor to step away from Thunderbolts in recent days. Steven Yeun has also recently dropped out after being set to appear in the film, which follows a ragtag team of Marvel baddies who have been recruited to do good. Scheduling conflicts were cited there as well as the reason for the actor's departure.

While not specified, this was certainly due to the delay of Thunderbolts production caused by the recent strikes, causing its filming to run up against other projects the actors were committed to, that they were planning to do after Thunderbolts was done.

One certainly has to wonder, with two actors having to drop out of Thunderbolts, if more casting changes are in the movie's future. Thunderbolts' core cast, which includes Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, and Harrison Ford among others, probably doesn't need to worry. They likely have contracts with Marvel that require them to drop out of other projects, and not Marvel projects, while other actors new to the franchise likely don't have such ironclad deals.

Still, as we saw with the endless release date and production schedule shuffling around the pandemic, there's a pretty good chance that we'll see other actors having to choose between movies they were planning to make, either in Thunderbolts or in other upcoming movies.

Only one upcoming Marvel movie is set to release this year with Deadpool 3 coming out. Thunderbolts' release date is set for summer 2025.

We’re almost done with January, and this first month of 2024 has already seen some major shakeups for the upcoming Marvel movie Thunderbolts. First, Invincible’s Steven Yeun dropped out, with the actor later sharing that this was primarily because of scheduling changes. Now it turns out that another actor has dropped out of the Thunderbolts cast for that same reason, with The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri no longer set to appear in this MCU installment.

Fortunately, we already know who will be filling her shoes, as Deadline reports that Geraldine Viswanathan is taking over Edebiri’s Thunderbolts role. Like Edirbi, Viswanathan’s profile has grown quite bit over the last several years, with her big credits including Blockers, The Broken Hearts Gallery, The Beanie Bubble and Miracle Workers. Along with Thunderbolts now on her list of upcoming projects, she’ll next be seeing in Drive-Away Dolls, one of the February offerings on the 2024 movies schedule.

So although this is the second casting shakeup to hit Thunderbolts in a matter of weeks, between Viswanathan stepping in following Edebiri’s exit, and Lewis Pullman reportedly set to take over Steven Yeun’s role, the movie is still in good shape to begin production soon. That said, while Pullman is expected to be playing Sentry in Yeun’s place, per a spoiler-y comment from Robert Kirkman last November, there’s been no word about the identity of the character Viswanathan is now playing.

The main team, however, is still an open book, with the lineup consisting of Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier/White Wolf, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova /Black Widow, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost and Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster. Additionally, Harrison Ford will reprise Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross following his first outing as the character in Captain America: Brave New World, and it was also recently reported that Rachel Weisz and Laurence Fishburne are on deck to reprise their respective roles of Melina Vostokoff and Bill Foster.

Similar to DC Comics’ Suicide Squad, Marvel’s Thunderbolts team is chiefly comprised of anti-heroes and former villains going on missions for the U.S. government. Although the specific reason they’ll form in the MCU remains officially shrouded in mystery, between Sentry’s excepted involvement and rumblings that Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross will become Red Hulk, those are big enough threats that already warrant these characters banding together. Behind the scenes, Jake Schreier is directing the feature.

Thunderbolts is currently slated for July 25, 2025. While we keep our eyes and ears out for more updates, remember that the past exploits of this movie’s established characters can be revisited with a Disney+ subscription as you go through the Marvel movies in order and the MCU’s TV shows.

Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Edward Norton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kate Hudson, LaKeith Stanfield, Madelyn Cline, Ana de Armas, Dave Bautista – all those folks have appeared in a Knives Out mystery by Rian Johnson, and that’s not even scratching the surface of the A+ Knives Out cast and Glass Onion ensemble. Well, now that we know a third installment in Benoit Blanc’s whodunnit series will go into production soon, fans are throwing all their casting ideas on social media. And I sure hope the writer/director is taking notes, because these are brilliant. 

Knives Out 3 is set to go into production later this year, meaning we’ll likely find out who will make up its cast soon-ish. Between Rian Johnson’s first two films starring Daniel Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc and his Natasha Lyonne-led series Poker Face, he’s proven over and over again that he knows how to assemble an epic cast. Therefore, fans are expecting a list of greats to make up the ensemble of the third Knives Out mystery, and they have some brilliant ideas, like @tedsbecca who is campaigning for James Marsden:

James Marsden – who received an Emmy nomination for Jury Duty – is such a fabulous actor who is genuinely hilarious, and I think he’d fit in perfectly to this wacky world of mystery.

Sticking to the world of comedy, @ZoeRoseBryant called out an actress that I think many would love to see in a Rian Johnson whodunnit, posting:

The Knives Out movies always feature extremely talented up-and-coming actors – like Ana de Armas and Madelyn Cline. Considering Edebiri’s background in comedy as well as her recent rise because of her work on The Bear, audiences would be thrilled to see her in one of these movies, myself included. 

Meanwhile, @CoyJandreau was looking back at other iconic mystery movies for his dream cast. Considering we sadly might never get a Nice Guys sequel, I’m 100% on board with him fan-casting Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe in Knives Out 3:

When it comes to @heyitsjennalynn’s take, she noted that she’s willing to die on the hill of getting 2023 Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan into the threequel, and I would die on that hill too:

There were also some fun unconventional picks for Knives Out 3 ensemble members. However, considering Stephen Sondheim and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made cameos at the same time in Glass Onion, nothing is impossible. So, @hpeeryhorton, I hope your dream comes true:

People really have some brilliant and unique ideas for the Knives Out 3 cast, and I’m so here for them. Along with the fun ones highlighted above, here are a few more fun requests for the Oscar-nominated writer:

• Zendaya , Sarah Drew, Sofia Vergara ans Viola Davis. i mean....The power!! -@BellamyKeppner 
• Funny Adam Driver would be top tier -@eva_kirby21 
• here’s how I get Pedro [Pascal] and Kieran [Culkin] in a movie together, walk with me here -@sottgoods 
• Aubrey Plaza and Jenna Ortega! They would be amazing together. 🤣 -@imtiffanyblair 
• Jennifer Lawrence would be PERFECT in a film like this -@_Syncopy_ 
• I'm here to spread the Sam Rockwell for Knives Out 3 agenda again -@NeonTravesty 

Really, the possibilities are endless, and I can’t wait to see the cast Rian Johnson assembles for his next Knives Out mystery.

It seems highly unlikely that the third Benoit Blanc whodunnit will premiere on the 2024 movie schedule since reports say it will go into production toward the end of this year. However, I suspect that we’ll learn about who ends up in the film as it starts to shoot, and hopefully, some of the names mentioned above will be part of it. 

Being a chef is definitely a tough job, what with the gnarly oven burns, the long hours and inconsistent schedule and demanding clientele. But you'd think that merely playing a chef on screen would be a cake walk. Apparently, that's not so, according to Emmy-winning The Bear star Ayo Edebiri. As the actress explained, there's a key downside to playing to such a gig, and it may just leave you surprised.

The actress has racked up a whole host of awards for playing Sydney Adamu, the ambitious young sous-chef working under Jeremy Allen White's Carmy Berzatto on the FX series (which you can stream with a Hulu subscription). The comedian previously opened up about the technical difficulties of filming the series, including that astounding one-take scene from Season 2, in which she had to memorize table numbers and recite menu items over and over again. 

Now, she recently revealed to The Times (via The Independent) that the role has an effect on her personal life that's very specific to food. She said that due to the success of the series, she has been repeatedly asked to critique meals anytime she goes out to eat:

One can definitely understand how that would be a bit awkward for the Bottoms star. Yes, she may play a skilled chef on TV, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she herself wants to continuously give her two cents on meals that are placed before her or others. But then again, her dedication and preparation for the role may be why so many choose to defer to her on food-related matters.

Ayo Edebiri told TODAY that to prepare for her role as Sydney, she trained at the Institute of Culinary Education in Pasadena, California. The actress, whose hands you actually do see during all of The Bear's knife-chopping scenes, tapped into her real-life experiences of working in restaurants:

Her co-star, Jeremy Allen White -- snagged an Emmy and 2024 Golden Globe award this month for his work on the series—had his own difficulties in playing a chef on-screen. The Bear cast member Ebon Moss-Bachrach recently revealed to CinemaBlend:

Ayo Edebiri actually said that her working relationship and close friendship with with the Shameless alum helped her with her own performance, telling The Times:

You love to hear about such a tight bond between co-stars, and it's lovely that they've supported each other through this endeavor. They find themselves in an interesting position right now, given that they're both not only playing chefs but starring on one of the most popular TV shows airing right now. Hopefully, Ayo Edebiri's experience on that front -- and when dealing with calls for her to critique food -- become even easier as time goes on.

We don't yet know when we'll see her and her co-stars back manning the burners on screen in The Bear's upcoming third season, but we'll keep our eyes peeled to the 2024 TV schedule!

Ayo Edebiri had all sorts of delightfully surprising encounters during her big Emmy Awards night on Monday — during which she found herself on the list of the 75th Emmy winners as she took home the gold for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The evening included hilarious interactions with her childhood crush Matthew Macfadyen and, apparently, iconic TRL host Carson Daly. 

The TV and radio personality, who currently is the host of The Voice as well as a feature anchor on TODAY, was sat next to The Bear cast's leading lady during the awards ceremony Monday evening, so he had a front-row view of the actress' Emmy win. Not only that, but Edebiri ended up giving her famous seatmate a bunch of her stuff to watch as she took to the stage to collect her award. The funny moment surprised the TV host by going viral on social media, as Daly recounted to his TODAY cohorts on Wednesday: 

During a backstage interview with Entertainment Tonight following her Emmy win, Edebiri affirmed that she did hand Carson her purse and that she jokingly hoped he still "has all [her] stuff": 

The Bottoms' cast co-lead also poked fun at the fact that Daly — who she hilariously admitted she called by his first and last name upon meeting him — had closer seats to her than her own parents, who were sitting behind her: 

Carson did confirm that he eventually got Edebiri's belongings, which included her iPhone and a digital camera, back to the actress when she eventually returned to her seat inside Los Angeles' Peacock Theater:

However, Daly also noted that he left a little surprise for the actress who is about to start work on Season 3 of The Bear on said camera: a selfie of him and his wife, Siri, at the ceremony.

The actress-comedian was nothing but good-natured about the camera photo-bomb, leaving a sweet message of thanks to Daly, as Carson's TODAY co-anchor Samantha Guthrie revealed on January 19. Edebiri wrote: 

Hey, maybe Ayo can pay Carson back by getting him one of those snazzy little The Bear cameos à la Jamie Lee Curtis or Olivia Colman? Weirder things have clearly happened!

The 75th annual Emmy Awards gifted us with big wins and plenty of joyful celebrity run-ins, from good-natured jibes between Pedro Pascal and Kieran Culkin to that nostalgia-inducing Grey's Anatomy reunion between Katherine Heigl and Ellen Pompeo. However, one of our favorite encounters from the night was between Succession star Matthew Macfadyen and The Bear's Ayo Edebiri regarding Pride and Prejudice and how it got the actress grounded.

The TV stars had a lot in common on Monday night, with their respective shows dominating the awards and each actor taking home an individual trophy — Macfadyen for his role as "human grease stain" Tom Wambsgans in the HBO drama and Edebiri for playing talented young chef Sydney Adamu in the FX comedy. But it looks like their connection runs even deeper, because in between giving updates on The Bear Season 3, the actress hilariously revealed that her childhood crush on the actor's Mr. Darcy once got her grounded, and TikTok is loving it. 

What Did Ayo Edebiri Say About Matthew Macfadyen?

Per a TikTok post from Entertainment Tonight, The Bear cast's leading lady told the Succession cast member backstage at Monday night's ceremony that she was grounded by her father when she was young, because she had a screensaver of Macfadyen as the swoon-worthy Mr. Darcy from 2005's Pride and Prejudice adaptation. 

In the clip, you can see the actors cracking up over the story, with Edebiri impersonating her stern dad: 

The British actor, of course, portrayed Jane Austen's moody and mysterious Mr. Darcy in the Joe Wright-directed drama, opposite Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Bennet. His memorable take on the character included a rain-drenched proposal, a sexually-charged hand flex and a lengthy sequence in which his Darcy hunkily strides through a dewy field toward Knightley's heroine while wearing a flimsy white shirt and a floor-length duster. So, it makes sense why he was the actress's background.

However, Macfadyen wasn't remotely offended by her father's censorship. Himself a father of two, the actor jokingly told the outlet: 

It wouldn't be the only Succession-meets-The Bear crossover of the night — we also spotted a backstage hug between Macfadyen's onscreen spouse Sarah Snook and Edebiri's co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach (both of whom also took home their own Emmys as Lead Actress and Supporting Actor, respectively) during Monday's telecast.

But the sweet, silly moment between Ayo and Matthew was the one that seemingly bewitched fans' bodies and souls, and many took to TikTok to discuss the encounter. 

TikTok Reacts To Ayo Edebiri And Matthew Macfadyen's Moment

There were seemingly a lot of Pride and Prejudice diehards in those TikTok comments, with many praising Edebiri for relatably being a "Mr. Darcy girly":

• "As if I couldn’t like Ayo enough 🥲 she understand the love for Mr. Darcy 🫶🏻" - Lr0.8
• "She’s living the fan girl dream😂😂👏👏👏" - djmelusina1
• "With the beautiful hair. She’s so real for that" - Clydie
• "She’s the goat for loving the guy in the coat 😂✨" - Jacqueline Conde
• "She shot her shot. Yes. If I ever get the chance, me. 😂" - Melonie

And others were absolutely shocked that the guy behind icky Tom Wambsgans is also the star of one of the best romantic movies around:

• "…. HES MR. DARCY??? WAITTT WHAT" - Jasmine
• "THAT'S WHERE IVE SEEN HIM BEFORE" - Pandalandalopalis
• "Wait….. he was Darcy?!?! Whhhhaaaattt!!!! Did you guys know? Tell me I’m not alone!! 😐😳" - Moni

So, yes, it seems like Ayo Edebiri has a lot of company in wanting to love up on Matthew Macfadyen. And it proves that everybody's got an embarrassing childhood crush that might get them in trouble...even Emmy winners!

Finally, the actors' strike came to an end earlier this month, which allowed for Hollywood’s biggest stars to promote their fall movies. Julianne Moore has taken full advantage of this, as she is currently in the midst of a press cycle for her upcoming Netflix film, May December. While promoting the drama is very much a priority for the Oscar winner, Moore took a break from promoting her own work this week to shout out the summer comedy Bottoms. The cast and crew couldn’t be happier to receive Moore’s endorsement, and stars like Ayo Edebiri commented sweet messages.

Bottoms was released during the actors' strike, so it made it difficult for stars to promote the film. Nevertheless, the comedy found its audience and received fantastic reviews from critics. So many adored the film, including Julianne Moore, who posted about the movie and how much she enjoyed it. She also shouted out key Bottoms cast and crew in the caption to ensure the love was shared. You can see her sweet post from Instagram below:

The Bottoms creative team could not have been more excited to receive such a compliment from one of Hollywood’s most respected actresses. Ayo Edibiri, who plays one of the protagonists in the film, commented:

Emma Seligman, the director of Bottoms, also saw the post and was moved. Clearly a fan, it seems like the shout out meant the world to the filmmaker. She commented:

Elizabeth Banks, who produced the film, also shared the love with simple emojis expressing her gratitude. She said:

The official Instagram account for Bottoms used its blue check to share a message that reflects the feelings of the rest of the cast and crew, commented: 

Julianne Moore loving Bottoms may seem surprising considering the actress has mostly committed herself to serious dramas as of late. Her new film, May December, is no exception. It follows the aftermath of a scandalous relationship 20 years after it became tabloid fodder. Emotions run high as an actress comes into a couples life to uncover uncomfortable truths about their past. Also starring Natalie Portman and Charles Melton, May December is one of the buzziest movies this Oscar season.

However, the fact that the Still Alice star loved a teen comedy like Bottoms shows the fast range of Moore’s taste. The actress is no stranger to a raunchy comedy herself as she starred in both Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski in the 90s. Both are iconic performances, and this post shows that Moore still has a soft spot for the genre. Maybe after May December, the actress will look towards something more light and fun. If these comments are any indication, the creative team would love to have someone like Julianne Moore join their next project. 

You can catch Julianne Moore in May December, which will be available for Netflix subscribers on December 1st, 2023. If you missed Bottoms in the theaters, you can check out the hilarious film now by streaming it on MGM+. For more information on other films heading to streaming and cinemas this year, make sure to consult our 2023 movie release schedule. 

"Yes, chef!" That is what you are bound to start saying now that we know The Bear Season 3 is officially confirmed – and we have some details you don't want to miss out on. 

There are plenty of great shows on Hulu to enjoy and binge, but for me, there is a series that stands out as one of the best shows on Hulu that I will always recommend first, and that's The Bear. 

The series, starring Jeremy Allen White, has completely taken over the platform, and it only grew more significant in its sophomore season, gaining more traction as time passed. And now, The Bear Season 3 is coming. 

But what do we know about The Bear's third installment? Who will be back? When could it come out? For all the questions you could have, here is what to know about the next season. 

What Is The Bear Season 3's Premiere Date?

At the time of updating this in May 2024, it was confirmed by FX that all ten episodes of The Bear Season 3 will release on June 27, 2024, exclusively on Hulu.  

The Bear Season 3 was paused for some time due to the 2023 Writer's Strike and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, but production resumed in 2024 and the show will premiere as part of the 2024 TV premiere schedule. 

Anticipation for the new season is high, particularly given how critically acclaimed the streaming series has been. The Bear won a total of six awards at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2024.  

The Trailer For The Bear Season 3

The trailer is finally here for The Bear Season 3! It features all the cast members we are going to see as well as the chaos we are about to endure, watching everyone try to make their fine-dining establishment somehow work -- when everything feels like it's falling apart. Check it out above!

The Bear Season 3 Cast

Finally, the cast for The Bear  Season 3 is officially confirmed by FX. Here is who you will be seeing for sure: 

Jeremy Allen White as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto

Jeremy Allen White will be back as Carmy inThe Bear. White has gained a lot of fame since taking on the role. While many of us knew him as Lip from the Shameless cast, it's great to see him expand his acting career in such a remarkable way. He even won an Emmy award for his portrayal in the show. 

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richard "Richie" Jerimovich

Ebon Moss-Bachrach will be back as Richie, Carmy's hot-headed cousin who truly loves his family, and will work his butt off to make sure the restaurant doesn't go out of business. Moss-Bachrach was a part of the No Hard Feelings cast in 2023, but of course, we all want to see him again in The Bear. He won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 75th Primetime Emmys.

Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu

Ayo Edebiri will return as Sydney. There are plenty of great Ayo Edebiri movies and TV shows to enjoy, but her performance as Sydney in The Bear is one of the best, and she's gained plenty of notoriety over the last few years. 2023 was an excellent year for her, as she also co-led the Bottoms cast, and had supporting roles in Theater Camp and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. She won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. 

Lionel Boyce as Marcus Brooks

Lionel Boyce portrays Marcus Brooks, the main baker in The Bear. The actor has appeared in various other TV shows such as The Jellies!, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Loiter Squad and more. 

Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina Marrero

Liza Colón-Zayas portrays Tina Marrero in The Bear, another one of the cooks that actually goes to culinary school in Season 2. The actress has appeared in many films like All Is Bright, Lost Cat Corona, All at Once, Collateral Beauty, Cat Person and more. 

Abby Elliott as Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto

Abby Elliott plays Natalie Berzatto, otherwise affectionately called “Sugar.” The actress has appeared in movies like Cheaper by the Dozen and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as shows like How I Met Your Mother, Odd Mom Out, Indebted and more. 

Matty Matheson as Neil Fak

Matty Matheson plays Neil Fak in The Bear. He’s actually a real-life chef, and owns several restaurants, but he’s also appeared in other shows like Workin’ Moms and one of my personal favorite cooking shows, Selena + Chef. 

Oliver Platt as Uncle Jimmy

FX also confirmed that Oliver Platt would be back as Uncle Jimmy for Season 3 of The Bear in a recurring role. The actor has appeared in shows like Chicago Med, The Good Wife, The West Wing and more.

Molly Gordon as Claire

FX also confirmed Molly Gordon would return as Claire in a recurring role for Season 3 of The Bear. She’s appeared in Booksmart, Life of the Party and Good Boys. 

I'm unsure if the incredible guest stars from Season 2 will return, including Jamie Lee Curtis' character, Donna, but I'm hopeful. 

Season 3 Will Follow Carmy, Sydney And Ritchie Trying To Keep Their Restaurant Afloat

FX revealed official details of what’s going to happen in Season 3 and I’m not prepared. 

The third season is going to follow Carmy, Sydney, Ritchie, and the whole crew of The Bear as they try to keep their beef stand-turned-fine dining establishment afloat when it’s difficult to rise to the level and intensity that Carmy is bringing. Every day is a battle as they try to keep their restaurant in business. 

And Carmy also pushes himself harder than ever – if you can believe it, which is only going to lead to more stress in the kitchen. Now, it’s all about finding out if he and his crew have what it takes to be the next best restaurant in town or if they’re meant to collapse. 

Jeremy Allen White Hopes That Season 3 Allows Carmy To Give Out "Apologies"

Jeremy Allen White hopes that the next installment will give Carmy a chance to give out "apologies" to his friends and family.

In an interview with Deadline in July 2023, White was asked what he might want to see in a possible Season 3. The actor didn't think it was up to him and that he didn't know what would happen, but he said he "hoped" Carmy would be able to grow, apologize and that people would still accept them:

White confirmed this even more so in an interview with Deadline after his SAG Awards win for his portrayal of the character in February 2024, saying that he hopes Carmy somehow is able to “find some peace” amongst everything that has happened:

Ebon Moss-Bachrach Believes That Carmy And Richie's Fight In The Finale Could Be "Irreparable"

Richie has become one of my favorite characters of The Bear, and he experienced significant growth in Season 2, which included him standing up for himself more. In the Season 2 finale, he and Carmy get into a severe fight (when Carmy accidentally locks himself in the fridge), and both say some pretty nasty things. 

The actor behind Richie, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, told The Hollywood Reporter in July 2023 that he's unsure if this is a fight the two family members can come back from, saying some fights are "irreparable:" 

 Oh boy, there’s going to be more trouble in the Berzatto family.

Season 3 Will Feature A “Functioning Kitchen” Like Season 1

I know that The Bear is one of those shows where it constantly feels like we are on edge because of all the stress going on, but Jeremy Allen White revealed in an interview to Variety in December 2023 that Season 3 will return to a “functional kitchen atmosphere,” based on the scripts and what he had heard so far. He also spoke on the process of cooking, and how Season 3 will most likely feature a lot more of it, like the first season:
 

What are you the most excited for when it comes to The Bear Season 3? All I know is that I need to make all the delicious food from there soon – starting first with the amazing cake Marcus made in Season 1.

If you want to stream Seasons 1 and 2 of The Bear, you can do so with a Hulu subscription.

Today, we're talking about the best Ayo Edebiri movies and TV shows because she deserves all the praise. 

Regarding modern-day actresses that I have completely fallen in love with, Ayo Edebiri tops that list. While I hadn't gotten the chance to see her much before The Bear, I knew that after I watched her award-nominated performance, I needed to see much more of how amazing she was – because she's a true master of both drama and comedy. 

So today, we will go over Ayo Edebiri's best movies and TV shows so far, starting with something that I think all of us need to see. 

Bottoms (2023)

First up here is the obvious – Bottoms. This is the comedy of 2023, so you have to pay attention – at least, it's the comedy of the year for me. 

Bottoms is a hilarious coming-of-age comedy that stars Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott as two high schoolers who start a fight club in an effort to get with cheerleaders. In doing so, they decide to start a high school "fight club" as a guise to succeed.

I can't tell you how much I love this movie. First, the Bottoms cast is genuinely iconic, but Ayo Edebiri is pure gold as Josie. Her comedic timing is on point, and her chemistry with Rachel Sennott is everything you could want. Not only that, but the story is hilarious and filled with a lot of heart, which is sometimes hard to do for movies that focus on hooking up with girls at first. 

Seriously, it's one of the best films on the 2023 movie schedule, in my opinion, and I think everyone needs to see it. Check out Bottoms if you haven't – if not just for Edebiri's performance. 

Rent/Buy Bottoms on Amazon.

Big Mouth (2020 - Present)

Big Mouth is a Netflix animated show for young adults (since it is marketed as a coming-of-age sitcom) that is mainly based on students in suburban New York as they are going through life changes, both physical and personal, hilariously. Big Mouth specifically explores puberty, and it is open about discussing anything to do with the body, primarily through Hormone Monsters. 

Edebiri not only voices one of the main characters on the show, Missy (which she took over the part from Jenny Slate), but she also works as a writer for the series. If you want an idea of Ayo Edebiri's excellent voice acting, her role as Missy is proof of that. 

Stream Big Mouth on Netflix.

Dickinson (2021) 

Dickinson is an excellent Apple TV+ show about Emily Dickinson, the famous poet, and it takes a look at her life through a more comical lens, telling her story and how she began. 

Ayo Edebiri played Hattie in the show, and while she wasn't one of the main characters, her role left a lasting impact. She was honestly hilarious in her role as a writer but also, frankly, a hustler who got money from the people that she served, which I give her props for. Edebiri also worked as a staff writer for Dickinson, so now you know why it was so funny. 

Stream Dickinson on Apple TV+. 

Abbott Elementary (2023 – Present)

Abbott Elementary is a popular mockumentary sitcom that follows the teachers of the titular school in Philadelphia. We learn about the educators' personal and professional lives, and see how they try to give the absolute best to their students despite limited funds. 

Edebiri doesn't play a teacher. She portrayed Ayesha Teagues, the sister of Janine (the main character), and while she has a recurring guest role on the show, I instantly tune in any time I see her with Quinta Brunson (Janine). After hearing so much about Janine's sister in previous episodes, their scenes are great, especially in the Season 2 episode, "Teacher Appreciation," where they were astounding. But honestly, you should watch Abbott Elementary for how great it is all around.

Stream Abbott Elementary on Hulu.

Theater Camp (2023)

In this comedy film, Theater Camp, we follow a rundown theater camp staff after the camp's leader falls into a coma, and they are tasked with saving the beloved place.

There are plenty of reasons to like and finally see Theater Camp on Hulu and Ayo Edebiri (for me) is one of them. Her character, Janet Walch, is an underqualified teacher, who is pretending to be a theater expert. The actress is hysterical in every way, and any scene she's in automatically makes the top of my list of the best moments in the film – but I will say that Noah Galvin is also a standout in Theater Camp, so watch it for both. 

Stream Theater Camp on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Theater Camp on Amazon.

As Of Yet (2021)

As of Yet was a 2021 release, and it's told entirely through video cameras and diaries. The film follows Naomi, a young woman dealing with both a roommate who drives her crazy and a relationship that she can't pursue, and to top it off this film takes place during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

I like this movie because of how creative it is. It's probably one of the most underrated Ayo Edebiri films because it's small compared to her other ventures. With that said, she's great in her role as Khadijah and has some super funny moments. The movie is hilarious, so be sure to check it out. 

Stream As of Yet on Starz.
Rent/Buy As of Yet on Apple TV+.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

This 2023 film is a definite watch. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is an animated movie that follows the legendary group of teenage mutants as they struggle to find acceptance in society, but when a crime syndicate releases mutants in the world, it's up to them to help the humans. 

The film has Ayo Edebiri voicing April O'Neil, and I'm sorry, but she needs to voice this character from here on out. The entire Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem cast is talented, but she brings more personality to this character than I've ever experienced. 

Stream Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on Paramount+
Rent/Buy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on Amazon.

Clone High (2023 – Present)

While this series initially ran from 2002 – 2003, we are talking about the revival of the series years later, in 2023, when Ayo Edebiri joined the cast. It's an adult animated series about high school and the clones of well-known historical figures who attend. 

This show is just so much fun, and it serves as a parody of many classic teen drama shows of years past. Ayo Edebiri's voice role as a clone of Harriet Tubman is perfect casting. Somehow, her character fits perfectly in this strange clone world they inhabit, even when there's another clone of Harriet in the school, too, just in the background. Truly so funny. 

Stream Clone High on Max. 

The Bear (2022 – Present) 

You knew this would be on here, come on. The Bear is a great Hulu original show that mainly follows Carmy, a chef who left his high-end cooking gig to take over his brother's sandwich shop in Chicago so it doesn't close down after his death. 

The series from FX and Huly is one that just about everyone has undoubtedly heard about. The Bear cast is incredibly talented, but no one quite beats Ayo Edebiri as Sydney. Not only is she hilarious in so many ways, but her acting in the dramatic moments is so good that I wish she were in more dramas. Not only that, but everything she cooks makes me hungry – you better believe I made that omelet with Boursin cheese after Season 2.

Truthfully, Edebiri deserves all the praise for her performance in this show, and I genuinely hope it receives a Season 3 renewal because I need to see more of her story. I have to see her become the best chef there is. 

Stream The Bear on Hulu.

There are indeed so many amazing things that Ayo Edebiri has done, and she's only getting started. Now, I need The Bear to get renewed for Season 3, and I'll be happy again!

The first rule of fight club might be “you don’t talk about fight club,” but the first rule about the movie Bottoms, a new comedy about a couple of teens who create a secret fist-fighting club of their own, is definitely “talk about Bottoms”. The hilarious moment above in particular will definitely give you something to chat about, as it sees Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri's characters (unsuccessfully) trying to flirt with cheerleaders. And it perfectly encapsulates the humor from one of the latest 2023 new movie releases. 

MGM, the studio behind the teen sex comedy, exclusively shared the funny moment from the teen flick with us, as the movie expanded to more theaters this weekend following its limited release a week ago. The 89-second snippet sets up what to expect from the Bottoms cast, particularly when it comes to Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott's characters. And oof, no wonder they went to the great lengths of starting a fight club… am I right? 

The scene takes place at a school carnival, where Rachel Sennott’s PJ strikes up a conversation with one of the popular girls at school, Brittany (Kaia Gerber), and things go hilariously wrong. PJ opens by saying how much she loves “all the holes” in Brittany’s pants before she quips back that PJ is emulating a “little Dutch boy” with her fit. Then PJ goes on to mispronounce her very common name before commenting how she thinks she has the ability to “eat food, digest it, let it marinate, poop it out.” You know, like most humans! 

Matters get really awkward and cringey, though, when PJ ropes in Ayo Edebiri’s Josie into flirting with Brittany's bestie and fellow cheerleader, Isabel (played by Havana Rose Liu). Josie is somehow even worse at flirting, as she starts hanging too much on Isabel’s small frame to the point of saying she’s going to send her to the hospital. In her words, “Uh, oh, call the doctor, skinny girl I see.” The pair of cheerleaders end up just up and walking away, because well... PJ and Josie are really not good at talking to girls they find attractive. All in all, it's hard not to chuckle at the hilarity of the scene, and it's a testament to comedic chops of the actresses involved.

Bottoms follows Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri’s PJ and Josie -- two lesbian besties who hope to lose their virginities to the aforementioned cheerleaders. Given they’ve got no game (and let’s be honest here, most of us didn’t in high school), they cook up a plan to start their very own “fight club” for female self-empowerment to lure them in. 

It's refreshing to see an LGBTQ+-centric comedy like this, and the movie has received ridiculously good reviews, notching a 95% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The (occasionally bloody) high school romp comes from the mind of both the film’s star Rachel Sennott and her co-writer, Emma Seligman, who also directed the film. It’s the pair’s second feature together after 2020’s Shiva Baby.

The writers previously shared that they were inspired to make this film after years of watching male-led sex comedies. They also shared their hopes of punching through teen tropes, especially when it comes to how teen girls are often portrayed. They wanted to show audiences that women can be “just as horny” as men, in a hilarious way, of course. The cheerleader pick-up clip featuring Sennott, Ayo Edebiri and their co-stars is just one prime example of that. And if you want to see how the who story plays out, you can check out Bottoms in theaters now!  Do yourself a favor and also look at other romantic and funny LGBTQ+ films.

The Bottoms cast boasts an impressive array of talent, and we're going to delve into their previous appearances that might ring a bell. 

R-rated comedy movies have always been a massive deal at the box office. From classics like The Hangover to some of the newest additions to the genre, like the raunchy Joy Ride or the Jennifer Lawrence-led No Hard Feelings, this genre has consistently drawn crowds. But today, we're shifting our focus to the hilarious Bottoms. 

Starring Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott, and many more, it tells the story of two high school girls who start a female fight club to hook up with cheerleaders before graduating. This cast is full of young and established talent, so let's get into it. 

Ayo Edebiri 

First up on this list is Ayo Edebiri, one of the leads. Edebiri is a name that has steadily popped up on more people's radars over the last few years, whether it be because of movies or television. 

On TV, Edebiri is primarily known for her role in The Bear, where she plays Sydney, a part that has earned her several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy nomination. Besides that, she's also had a recurring role on Clone High, held a voice role on Big Mouth, was a part of the Black Mirror Season 6 cast, and had a recurring role on Abbott Elementary. She also worked as a writer on the fantastic Apple TV+ series Dickinson, and held a recurring role in the series.

Edebiri has also appeared in a few films now. She had voice roles in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. She also appeared in Theater Camp, As of Yet, The Sweet East, Hello, Goodbye, And Everything in Between, and more. Honestly, this is just the beginning of us seeing her. 

Rachel Sennott 

Next up is Rachel Sennott, another one of the leads. She mostly became known from her role in the A24 horror movie Bodies Bodies Bodies but has appeared in other films such as Tahara, Shiva Baby, and Susie Searches. 

Besides movies, she had a recurring role in The Idol cast and appeared in Call Your Mother and High Maintenance. 

Ruby Cruz 

Next up on our Bottoms cast list is Ruby Cruz. The young actress has not appeared in major motion pictures, only in several film shorts. This is her first major film role. 

However, Cruz has appeared in a few television shows. She was a part of the Disney+ series Willow (which was tragically canceled), appeared on the critically acclaimed Mare of Easttown, and guest starred on the series Castle Rock. 

Havana Rose Liu 

Havana Rose Liu is next on our list. Liu has guest-starred in two episodes of the college-based Netflix series The Chair, but other than that, her television experience has been limited so far.

Even so, Liu has appeared in three films before this: Mayday, The Sky is Everywhere, and No Exit. 

Kaia Gerber 

Moving on, we take a look at Kaia Gerber. Besides the R-rated comedy, Gerber has only appeared in Babylon thus far – which has been gaining much popularity online over the last few months, especially with star Margot Robbie's performance.

Gerber has appeared on television more than in films. She was a part of the American Horror Stories cast and was also in American Horror Story: Double Feature. Besides that, she also held a part in the TV film, Sister Cities. 

Nicholas Galitzine

Nicholas Galitzine is a name I'm sure many have been hearing about over the last couple of years. Galitzine has appeared in a fair share of movies. Prominently, he portrayed the prince in the Amazon adaptation of Cinderella, and in 2023, he co-starred in Red, White, and Royal Blue on Amazon Prime Video. 

Besides that, he appeared in films such like High Strung, The Craft: Legacy, Purple Hearts, Share, and Handsome Devil. The actor also held a part in the TV film, The Watcher in the Woods, and had a prominent role in Chambers. 

Miles Fowler

Moving on, we look at Miles Fowler from the Bottoms cast. So far, Fowler hasn't done any other film work, but he has appeared in guest and recurring roles in various TV shows. These include Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, The Resident, and Women of the Movement. 

Dagmara Domińczyk 

Next is Dagmara Domińczyk, who has much more experience in movies and TV than her younger co-stars here. The actress has gained popularity in the last few years for her role in Succession but has also appeared in TV shows such as We Own This City and more, mainly in guest appearances. 

Domińczyk has also been in many films, including Rock Star, The Count of Monte Cristo, Higher Ground, The Lost Daughter, Trust the Man, The Immigrant, The Assistant, and many more. 

Marshawn Lynch

Moving on, we look at Marshawn Lynch from the Bottoms cast, who didn't get his start as an actor – his career began in the NFL, where he spent most of his career playing for the Seattle Seahawks, but once he retired, he switched over to acting. 

Lynch appeared in the football-centered comedy film, 80 for Brady, and has guest starred on several shows such as Westworld, The League, Murderville, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. 

Punkie Johnson

Lastly, we'll talk about Punkie Johnson from the Bottoms cast. Johnson is primarily known for her repertory role on Saturday Night Live, where she plays various characters. Still, she's also appeared in several other shows such as A Black Lady Sketch Show, Love Life, Ghosts, Space Force, Corporate, and Take My Wife. 

With such a great cast, Bottoms is, no doubt, making audiences laugh everywhere. Hopefully, we'll begin to see more of these awesome cast members in movies and shows as time goes on. 

Among this weekend’s latest big-screen releases is Bottoms, a raunchy LGBTQ+ comedy about two teen girls who start a fight club to win the affections of (and get some action with) the hot cheerleaders at their school. It’s the hilarious brainchild of Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott, the filmmakers behind one of 2021’s most underrated movies, Shiva Baby. And they found inspiration by pushing back against common teen movie tropes that they felt were clearly “written by a man.” The talented pair have a lot to say and want the public to know that women are "just as horny as men."

Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott wrote the script together while collaborating on  Shiva Baby, which was their feature-film debut. That production was a much more tense movie about a college student’s cringey Jewish funeral service experience. This latest film allowed them to do something a bit wilder and funnier. When speaking to IndieWire about how Bottoms came about, Seligman that their first frames of references were "just the shitty guy sex comedies." Sennott then expanded upon their disillusionment with the genre in some regards:

The writers looked back on favorites like Edgar Wright’s 2010 genre-bending comedy, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (which is returning as an anime) along with other sex comedies starring male characters. They both noticed how teen boy characters were given free reign to be “horny,” whereas female characters took a backseat. Emma Seligman, who also directed Bottoms, continue to discuss the standard characterizations they wanted to steer clear of: 

Overall, both writers wanted to challenge the idea that teen girls aren’t as "horny" as their male counterparts in the raunchy (and bloody) comedy. The movie is led by Rachel Sennott, who also stole the show in last year’s A24 hilarious whodunnit Bodies Bodies Bodies and The Bear cast's standout, Ayo Edebiri, as PJ and Josie, respectively.

During the interview, Rachel Sennott added that queer characters in teen movies often come out and then go on to want to “do nothing about it” before going home and singing a song. The writer and actress shared that she wanted the queer-focused movie to find an inbetween where it wasn’t “so sad that it’s depressing” nor “cutesy.” She described her and Ayo Edebiri’s characters as not particularly “likeable” on purpose because they’re “just hormonal teenagers who hate themselves a little.” 

Bottoms has found overwhelming praise from critics since opening at the South by Southwest film festival back in March. In hindsight, one can probably say it was partially due to the freshness of the story. That can certainly be chalked up to the filmmakers' eagerness to explore the humor and humanity that comes with teenage girls' sexual desires. The movie is now playing in select theaters and will expand to more theaters next Friday, September 1. You can also stay up to date on other 2023 new movie releases as the fall film season rolls in.  

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, thanks to exciting projects on the small and silver screens. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts. That ensemble project is centered around a number of villains and antiheroes from the shared universe, while also introducing a few newcomers. The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri is one of those new faces making their MCU debut, and recently explained why she’s so “excited” to join the shared universe.

Ayo Edebiri’s role in the MCU is still a mystery at this point, but fans are eager to see her joining the Thunderbolts cast alongside some fan favorites. Fans are eager for any information about what the villain-centric Marvel flick will contain, especially those of us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order. Edebiri spoke to Backstage about her upcoming MCU entrance, and expressed interest in doing something totally new to her. In her words:

Sounds like a great attitude. Indeed, Ayo Edibiri’s credits include a variety of different projects. There’s the acclaimed TV drama The Bear, voicing April in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem as well as the new comedy flick Theater Camp. She’ll be able to flex other muscles in Thunderbolts, presumably getting into some action in the process.

Thunderbolts’ story is being largely kept under wraps, although it looks like we’ll follow the titular team of characters as they become a unit and go on a mission. Said team will presumably be formed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who has been popping up in projects like Black Panther 2 and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. In addition to Edebiri, another newcomer joining the MCU in the movie is Harrison Ford, who is taking on the role of Thaddeus Ross following the death of Wiliam Hurt.

Much of the hype surrounding Thunderbolts is about the various superpowered antiheroes/villains who will be appearing in the forthcoming Marvel flick. This includes fan favorites like Bucky Barnes and Florence Pugh’s Yelena. Also included are David Harbour’s Red Guardian, Ant-Man 2’s Ghost, Black Widow villain Taskmaster, and The Falcon and Winter Soldier’s U.S. Agent. 

Unfortunately, the wait for the MCU blockbuster is a bit longer, as Thunderbolts was recently delayed as a result of the ongoing strikes. It’s unclear when an agreement will end the strikes, and exactly when the villain-centric movie will begin filming.

Thunderbolts is currently expected to arrive in theaters on December 20th, 2024. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

A very minor spoiler for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem lies ahead.

A thrilling revamp of fans' favorite sewer-dwelling, pizza-loving quartet, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, is earning high praise from fans and critics, who are impressed by Seth Rogen's vision. This fresh interpretation of the legendary Heroes in a Half-Shell is brought to life by a dynamic and stacked TMNT cast. Among its ranks is the talented Ayo Edebiri, recognizable from her stellar performance in The Bear. Lending her vibrant voice to the movie, the actress takes on the role of the Turtle's human companion, April O'Neil. She recently spoke to CinemaBlend, the American-born comedian discussed why she would select Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill as the film she'd recommend for the Turtle brothers.

We had the pleasure of chatting with the Big Mouth veteran, and the conversation drifted to a fascinating plot point in the film where the Turtles sneak off a movie night, catching one of the best ‘80s movies, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Our own Sean O'Connell posed an intriguing question to Ayo Edebiri when they spoke at the Mutant Mayhem junket ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike. He asked if she could choose a film for the Turtles to watch, one with a particularly "cool" main character, which one would it be? The What We Do in the Shadows producer gave a captivating response:

Sean O'Connell found the actress' suggestion intriguing and agreed that Uma Thurman's The Bride indeed represented the essence of coolness. The Black Mirror alum further elaborated that Quentin Tarantino's action-packed Whole Bloody Affair, which fans have wanted on Netflix, would actually be beneficial viewing for the somewhat impressionable “Turtle Boys." She further explained:

Her proposal to introduce the turtles to Quentin Tarantino's legendary two-part saga may be surprising, but it's ingenious. The unwavering resolve and grit of The Bride, paired with her martial arts expertise and an impressive weapons arsenal, could offer some invaluable lessons to our audacious team. Plus, it guarantees an unforgettable movie night!

For those who haven't yet dived into the wave of Mutant Mayhem, fret not. The half-shell heroes, as well as Ayo Edebiri’s April O’Neil, are still kicking butt in a theater near you. And chances are, in the not-too-distant future, you might just find the Turtles kickin' it on your Paramount+ subscription. (And of course, don't expect the film to be as brutal as Kill Bill.)

Also, if you want to take a trip down memory lane, then explore TMNT's past films by checking out our list of streaming options or check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases for other cinematic offerings. 

Animated movies like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem usually boast how they’ve scored an amazing cast of familiar voices you’ve heard. To say that director Jeff Rowe had achieved that same feat would be an understatement, as the voice talent for Paramount’s new reboot on the half shell is truly stacked. 

Whether you've seen the movie already or want to double check your assumptions on who's in the cast, we've got you covered. So if you thought you heard a familiar voice or two in this entry of the 2023 movie release schedule, then take a look at the list below and see if your instincts were right. 

Micah Abbey (Donatello)

With two episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, as well as the role of Leaf in Cousins For Life, under his belt, Micah Abbey landed the role of Donatello in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles family. Those experiences have helped Abbey’s portrayal, as his spot as the quick thinking genius of the group benefits from such performances.

Shamon Brown Jr. (Michelangelo)

Ever the prankster, Michelangelo is the class clown when it comes to these brothers in arms. Taking up that role is actor Shamon Brown Jr., who can be seen in the Showtime original series The Chi in the role of Papa. According to Variety, Brown will also be reprising his role as Michelangelo, along with his on-screen brothers, in the the upcoming series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which will serve as the connective tissue to a greenlit sequel to Mutant Mayhem. 

Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo)

Actor Nicolas Cantu’s collection of roles ranges from the voice of Charlie on Netflix’s Skull Island to Elton on The Walking Dead: Worlds Beyond. With guest spots on Family Guy, The Rookie, and 9-1-1: Lone Star also in the mix, Cantu’s role as the de facto leader and occasional “narc” in the family comes with a lot of experience behind it. 

Brady Noon (Raphael)

Ever the hot head, Raphael is the Ninja Turtle you’d most likely get into a fight with. It’s ok, because his anger totally isn’t a problem; especially when it comes to Brady Noon’s colorful performance! Previously seen on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire as young Tommy Darmody, Noon has recently been a fixture for those with a Disney+ subscription thanks to playing Greg in the animated Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies and Evan Morrow from Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.

Ayo Edebiri (April O'Neil)

You might recognize the voice of April O’Neill in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem thanks to Ayo Edebiri’s previous voice work on Netflix’s Big Mouth. Or you might remember her as Sydney from FX’s The Bear. In either case, Ms. Edebiri has had an amazing run in her recent resume, preparing her to play the hard-hitting teenage journalist to great effect.

Jackie Chan (Splinter)

Traditionally, Splinter has been portrayed as both a master of martial arts and a concerned father. So tying those two factors together by casting Jackie Chan in the role is a pretty ingenious stroke when you think about it. A veteran of action/comedies like Rush Hour, Chan has also built a pretty impressive career in voice-overs through work in the Kung-Fu Panda movies, as well as The Lego Ninjago Movie. Though you may have also seen Jackie Chan in the flesh recently, thanks to the Netflix success of his movie Hidden Strike.

Ice Cube (Superfly)

It takes a villain as cunning, yet charming, as Superfly to terrorize the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. That’s exactly what audiences have gotten out of the experience thanks to rapper/actor Ice Cube playing this part with both of those qualities front and center. Cube made a name for himself through acting in the Friday and Barbershop franchises, as well as jumping in on the action/adventure thrill ride xXx: State of the Union. 

Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman)

Scientist Baxter Stockman isn’t as villainous as you’d think in Mutant Mayhem, as he doesn't turn into Superfly in this incarnation. (Despite that version of Stockman, from the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, being pictured above.) This turn is just as shocking as learning that Giancarlo Esposito is the voice behind this fatherly presence. 

As Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian, Esposito’s more menacing side got a true workout. However, there are more ruthless characters in this universe, some of which are connected to his work with “the ooze.”

Maya Rudolph (Cynthia Utrom)

Cynthia Utrom wants all of Baxter Stockman’s research, and she wants it now! The overarching antagonist who wants to milk the Turtles and capture all of Stockman’s creations, Cynthia’s unique voice comes from SNL vet Maya Rudolph. Also known for voice work in The Mitchells vs. The Machines' cast (which was co-directed/written by Mutant Mayhem’s Jeff Rowe), Rudolph is also notable for her role in Paul Feig’s comedy masterpiece Bridesmaids.

Seth Rogen (Bebop)

Speaking of Baxter Stockman’s experiments, they too have formed a superpowered family under the watchful eye of Superfly. One of the most iconic has to be Bebop, one half of a team that’s long terrorized the Turtles, but actually befriends them in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Played by producer and co-writer Seth Rogen, this “permanent teenager” kicked off his acting career with Knocked Up, and has been in everything from Superbad to Steve Jobs since then.

John Cena (Rocksteady)

If you have Bebop, then you definitely need to have Rocksteady by his side. Completing this dynamic duo is an unlikely, but awesome scene partner: John Cena. Most recently seen in Barbie and Fast X, this WWE veteran is up for pretty much anything… even playing the live-action scene partner to Mutant Mayhem co-star Jackie Chan in that Netflix hit we discussed earlier, Hidden Strike!

Hannibal Buress (Genghis Frog)

Be it in his role as Coach Wilson in Spider-Man: Homecoming or as an exaggerated version of himself in The Eric Andre Show, Hannibal Buress is a fan favorite in the world of comedy. Taking on Genghis Frog is a perfect opportunity for his talents, as Buress’ deadpan delivery and comedic threats are a solid fit for this character’s role in Superfly’s gang.

Rose Byrne (Leatherhead)

An alligator with an attitude, Leatherhead is just as likely to threaten to bite you as she is to make you an onion-based treat that practically blooms on the table. Voiced by Rose Byrne, she’s yet another Bridesmaids cast member on the Mutant Mayhem team. Though you may have also seen her in live-action through the Peter Rabbit movies, as well as in Apple TV+’s Platonic with Seth Rogen.

Natasia Demetriou (Wingnut)

Depending on who you are, casting Natasia Demetriou as the batty Wingnut is either on the nose or clever casting. Thanks to her role as vampire/bat Nadja on What We Do In The Shadows, hearing a flying creature with Demetriou’s familiar voice is certainly going to have her fans recognizing her presence faster than you can say, “Bat!”

Post Malone (Ray Fillet)

Ray Fillet is a creature that loves to sing, and rightfully so, as Mutant Mayhem scored the talents of rapper Post Malone to give him those soulful melodies. Credited under his real name, Austin Post, Malone has also been featured in movies like Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man, as well as playing the role of Squeeb in the Netflix film Spenser Confidential. 

Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko)

Don’t let the “introducing” credit fool you, as that scrappy up-and -omer Paul Rudd has been making a name for himself for some time. Appearing in various comedies like Clueless, and even Knocked Up with fellow mutant vocalist Seth Rogen, Rudd is probably best known as the MCU’s cinematic Ant-Man. Though, to be honest, Mondo Gecko’s vibes could put him in contest with Scott Lang for “best Paul Rudd role of all time.” 

With such a deep bench of talent in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, there are a lot of voices to recognize. So we’re glad to be able to help identify the lot, and keep you from racking your brain too hard over who’s who; as a lot of the lines throughout this exciting action/comedy were bound to ring some bells in the minds of all who have seen it. 

If you haven’t had a chance to experience the Mutant Mayhem for yourself, don’t worry. Turtle Power has returned to a theater near you, and will more than likely wind up as part of the perks to having a Paramount+ subscription at some point in the future. 

Spoilers are ahead for the finale of The Bear’s second season. If you want to catch up on the FX comedy, you can stream it with a Hulu subscription. 

The Bear is known for building tension and expertly bringing the intensity of a kitchen onto the screen. In Season 1, the best example of the show creating this stressful, yet masterful, vibe, was in Episode 7 when they used an 18-minute one-take to showcase the chaotic inner workings of The Beef’s kitchen. In Season 2, they used this method again on The Bear’s first night open, and the scene centered around Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney as she called out orders. So, with that in mind, we spoke to the actress about it, and she revealed that it was even “harder” than the on-take in the first season.

The first third of The Bear’s Season 2 finale, which amounts to about 12 minutes, is filmed in one take as the crew takes on their friends and family night at the restaurant. The sequence centers around Ayo Edebiri’s character who is reading orders and running the kitchen. Just watching the scene, it became clear that it was a feat of filmmaking, and likely a major challenge to shoot. 

The Emmy-nominated actress confirmed this while speaking with CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell during the junket for her upcoming project on the 2023 movie schedule, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. She said: 

I totally get why this one was so much harder than the oner in Season 1. This sequence bounces back and forth between the front and back of house, following the servers and Richie as they travel between the two. At the center of the madness in the kitchen is Edebiri, and she’s firing off orders while trying to keep order in the kitchen. They get more swamped, and as the scene goes on the tension builds to a breaking point before cutting to the ticket printer. 

Ayo Edebiri fires off a ton of orders and specific instructions to the other chefs, which could not have been easy dialogue to memorize because it isn’t totally connected. Thinking about that, when it came to how many times she ran lines before filming, she noted that it felt like she really had to drill the dialogue at home to be ready on the day. She said:

Knowing that they only shot this uber-complex scene six times makes it even better. It also really proves that, like the chefs they play, The Bear’s cast is at the top of their games. Between this sequence in the finale where the restaurant officially opens and the intense family dinner in Episode 6, clearly, this cast and crew know how to build an intense moment that you also can’t look away from. 

When it comes to this iconic scene in the finale, I can totally see why Ayo Edebiri thought it was harder than the Season 1 sequence. It also showed her talent as an actress and the overall skill of the ensemble. To see what I’m talking about, make sure you stream The Bear on Hulu and check out everything we know about The Bear's third season.

Since its debut in June 2022, The Bear has not only become one of the best shows on Hulu, but the FX-produced restaurant drama is arguably one of the best shows on TV. The gritty dramedy series that is at times incredibly funny while at others intensely somber is made all the better because of its stellar cast. Thankfully, The Bear season 3 has been officially confirmed. But, if you’re late to the game and just now hearing about the show, or you've already seen how things end in the Season 2 finale, there’s a good chance you want to know where you’ve seen the actors behind Carmy, Richie, Sydney, and the rest of the faces at that Chicago-based Italian beef shop. I can’t make a delicious sandwich magically appear, but I can serve up where you’ve seen The Bear cast before...

Jeremy Allen White (Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto)

Leading The Bear cast and the Chicago Italian beef shop on the incredibly fun-to-watch series is Jeremy Allen White’s Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto.

Before becoming the thirst trap of Summer 2022 (sorry Joseph Quinn), White made a name for himself on the long-running Showtime series Shameless, where he portrayed Philip “Lip” Gallagher for maybe a little longer than he would have liked. The talented actor has also had memorable roles on shows like Homecoming and in movies like The Rental in recent years.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Richard ‘Richie’ Jerimovich)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richard “Richie” Jerimovich quickly became a character you both loved and hated for a whole variety of reasons throughout The Bear Season 1, but became even more loveable in season 2 – particularly after Richie's Taylor Swift moment – but the actor has done more than master the Chicago accent.

Prior to landing that unforgettable character on The Bear, Moss-Bachrach cut his teeth by doing things like hitting a “Dick Wolf Hat Trick” by appearing on Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Law and Order: Trial by Jury, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. But, that isn’t all, as he has had major roles on The Punisher, NOS4A2, The Dropout, and John Adams, proving he can handle just about any type of character effortlessly.

Ayo Edebiri (Sydney Adamu)

One of the best things about The Bear has to be Ayo Edebiri and her portrayal of sous chef Sydney Adamu, who brings a breath of fresh air to the chaotic kitchen.

If you like her performance and the way it elevates The Bear cast, then you should check out some of her other roles on shows like Big Mouth (she replaced Jenny Slate as Missy Foreman-Greenwald), The Premise, and Dickinson. She also has movies like As of Yet, How It Ends, and Cicada that are worth a watch. See Ayo Edebiri's best movies and TV shows. 

Lionel Boyce (Marcus)

Lionel Boyce brought a much-need sense of calm to the otherwise turbulent kitchen on The Bear, on which he portrayed bread-maker and later dessert expert, Marcus.

Like Jasper Dolphin, who was one of the standouts of the Jackass Forever cast earlier in 2022, Boyce came up as a member of the rap collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, appearing on multiple albums and mixtapes produced by the group as well as shows they created like Loiter Squad and The Jellies over the years. Boyce has also appeared on shows like Hap and Leonard and Hey You, It’s Me, as well.

Liza Colón-Zayas (Tina)

Liza Colón-Zayas provided one of the most complex characters in The Bear Season 1 with her incredible portrayal of Tina.

Prior to landing the role of the queen of the kitchen on The Bear, Colón-Zayas made a name for herself as a tour de force on the stage, in movies, and on TV. Over the years, she has starred in plays like Sistah Supreme (which she also wrote) and We’d All Be Kings, movies like United 93, All Is Bright, and Purge Election Year, and a list of shows that includes everything from Law and Order to Rescue Me and Dexter to Blue Bloods.

Abby Elliott (Natalie ‘Sugar’ Berzatto)

Former Saturday Night Live cast member Abby Elliott gave a tremendous performance on The Bear as Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto, the sister of series lead, Carmy.

Elliott, who left SNL in August 2012 after four seasons on the sketch comedy show, has appeared on quite a few shows over the years, including How I Met Your Mother, King of the Hill, Odd Mom Out, and Indebted. She most recently showed up as a member of the Cheaper by the Dozen cast in the Disney+ remake of classic family comedy.

Edwin Lee Gibson (Ebraheim)

Probably the most prolific member (103 stage productions per BroadwayWorld.com) of The Bear Season 1 cast, Edwin Lee Gibson portrayed longtime restaurant staple, Ebraheim, on the intense dramedy.

In addition to his scores of stage performances, Gibson has popped up on some pretty well-known shows throughout his career, including Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Shameless, and Fargo. He is also another member of the cast to have a “Dick Wolf Hat Trick,” having appeared on Chicago P.D., Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and Law and Order.

Matty Matheson (Neil Fak)

Matty Matheson plays the shop’s handy man, Neil Fak, on The Bear, but in real life he’s one of the most exciting and unique chefs today.

The tattooed Canadian chef has written several cookbooks, hosts multiple cooking shows, and often makes appearances on videos produced by the likes of Architectural Digest, Bon Appetit, and GQ, to name only a few. His Just a Dash cooking series is also a must for fans of The Bear. But, don’t let his funny nature fool you, Matheson’s dishes take a ton of work to pull off.

Oliver Platt (Cicero)

Oliver Platt appears in a couple of episodes of The Bear as Cicero, a.k.a. Uncle Jimmy, Carmy’s uncle and the owner of his late brother’s massive debt.

Platt has been a major fixture of film and TV for decades now, having appeared on everything from underrated HBO comedies like Bored to Death to Beethoven and disaster films like 2012 to NBC's Chicago Med. Pretty much, if you flip through enough channels on any given day, you’re going to find one of his movies.

Chris Witaske (Pete)

And then there is Chris Witaske, who portrays Carmy’s suburban Chicago brother-in-law, Pete, on The Bear.

Outside of his work on The Bear, Witaske is probably most recognized from his portrayal of Chris Czajkowski on the Netflix romantic comedy series Love or from his various one-off appearances on shows like New Girl, Arrested Development, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

There are also quite a few other actors who appear briefly throughout the The Bear  including Jon Bernthal as Michael ‘Mikey’ Berzatto in a touching flashback, Joel McHale as the abusive executive chef not remembered fondly by Carmy, and Molly Ringwald who is seen moderating an Al-Anon meeting. And, with The Bear Season 3 becoming a reality, I’m sure the list will continue to grow.

Netflix's wild coming-of-age comedy Big Mouth became a major hit for the streamer when it debuted back in 2017 for it's relatable representations of what it's like for pre-teens and young teens to go through puberty. The voice performances for the (sometimes very) adult animated show have been a big part of its success, but it was in late June that actress Jenny Slate, who had voiced the character of Missy Foreman-Greenwald for the entire run, decided to step down so that a black actress could voice the biracial character. Now that actor / comedian / writer / producer Ayo Edebiri has been cast to take over, we know what the producers have planned for the switch.

Even though Jenny Slate did a great job of voicing the nerdy biracial girl as she began her (sometimes kinda weird) sexual awakening, it was good to see her and the producers take responsibility for not having a black or biracial actress take on the part. But, according to Variety, when the decision was made for her to step aside, Slate had already recorded all of her part for the upcoming Season 4.

Big Mouth co-creator Andrew Goldberg said they didn't believe there would be time for Ayo Edebiri to re-record all of the dialogue, and noted that they didn't want her saddled with starting "her journey with this part by matching what Jenny did already," because it wouldn't be a good way "for her to make it her own." It was originally thought that Edebiri would begin her time as Missy with Season 5 (Big Mouth got a three season renewal last summer), but co-creator Jennifer Flackett was able to find "a really organic and cool place" in Season 4's penultimate episode which would make the voice change feel organic for the character, new actress, and the audience who's been watching Missy grow for several seasons.

As co-creator Nick Kroll said of the moment, which will lead to Edebiri voicing Missy in the Season 4 finale and in the following seasons:

Ayo Edebiri might be a new name to you, but she's been working her way through Hollywood for a few years now, was a writer on the Kal Penn-starring sitcom Sunnyside last season, and will be seen on Season 2 of Dickinson for Apple TV+, in a role that was created for her after she joined the series as a writer. Edebiri had also already joined the writer's room for Big Mouth Season 5, when the opportunity came for a black actress to begin voicing Missy, so she threw her hat in the ring. Even though Edebiri did still have to go through several auditions to nab the role, it sounds like it's a great fit:

We don't know exactly when Big Mouth Season 4 will hit Netflix, but it's still expected later in 2020. For more on what to watch in the coming weeks, check out our guide to fall TV!