Ayo Edebiri has been cast in “Abbott Elementary” in the guest starring role of Ayesha Teagues, sister of Janine (series creator Quinta Brunson).
Throughout the series, Janine periodically mentions having a complicated relationship with Ayesha, who will appear for the first time in the Feb. 8 episode “Valentine’s Day” via FaceTime before returning for a larger storyline later during Season 2.
Edebiri is best known for starring as Sydney Adamu in “The Bear,” FX’s hit comedy-drama series that debuted in 2022. The role earned her acting nominations from the Gotham Awards, Critics’ Choice, the Indie Spirits and the Screen Actors Guild. She is also a writer, with credits including “Big Mouth” on Netflix and “Dickinson” on Netflix —also playing Missy and Hattie in those shows, respectively — as well as NBC’s “Sunnyside” and FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows.” Up next, she will appear in the upcoming Marvel film “Thunderbolts” and the Emma Seligman’s 2023 film “Bottoms.” She will also write for “Mulligan,” Robert Carlock and Tina Fey’s upcoming animated series at Netflix.
In “Valentine’s Day,” the Abbott teachers discuss their relationships and plans for the holiday. Janine finds out one of her students has a crush on her and when turning to a colleague for advice, she inadvertently learns a secret about another teacher. Elsewhere, Ava sits in on Jacob’s Black History class after receiving a complaint.
“Abbott Elementary” is executive produced by Brunson, Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker of Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions, and Randall Einhorn. The series hails from Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television.
