Ayo Edebiri Says She Didn’t Dream of Awards Success, She Dreamed of Dental Insurance: “I Grind at Night' (original) (raw)

Ayo Edebiri is grateful for the medical benefits that come with her job.

While appearing on the E! Live From the Red Carpet pre-show ahead of the 2023 Emmy Awards, The Bear actress, 28, detailed that she never expected to be at the awards ceremony as a girl when asked what a younger version of herself would think of where she is now by host Laverne Cox.

"She didn't dream of nights like this. She sort of dreamed of just, like, dental insurance,” Edebiri said.

“We've got dental, we've got eye [insurance], we've got ear. We can go to the dermatologist," she continued, before advising viewers to “get that yearly check-up."

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Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri on "The Bear".

Chuck Hodes/ FX on Hulu/ Everett

“Check your moles, people. Wear sunscreen, even if you're Black, and check your moles," Edebiri added.

As Cox, 51, remarked, “Dental is so big, right?” Edebiri, who is nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series at the Emmys, responded, "I grind at night. I didn’t realize about myself.

Edebiri previously recalled her younger years during an interview on ELLE's YouTube series Thirst Trap alongside her friend and frequent collaborator Rachel Sennott.

"'What's your most embarrassing high school memory?' " the Bottoms star asked Edebiri, who replied, "It's all pretty devastating," shaking her head at the memory.

"Right before prom I got my eyebrows waxed for the first time, and we can see these are not waxable eyebrows," Edebiri, who grew up in Boston, recalled of her high school years.

"But I got them waxed, and the whole time [the aesthetician] was like, 'Your eyebrows are the worst eyebrows I've ever seen in my life. Like, why did you do this to yourself?' " she added.

Monica Schipper/Getty

Continuing her story, Edebiri remembered how the wax caused an allergic reaction that resulted in her face noticeably swelling up, ultimately ruining her prom photos.

"All my prom pictures are like the top half of my face is so puffy and also it was so humid that day and my hair is just like exploded because it's so, so humid," Edebiri explained.

She also admitted she was not just disappointed with the "top half" of her face, but also with the prom gown she opted to wear for the occasion.

"You know I got that dress from the Lord & Taylor clearance rack, like, it's devastating [in the] photos," she said.

See PEOPLE's full coverage of the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards as they're broadcasting live on Fox from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.