The Bear star Ayo Edebiri has opened up about her directorial debut in season three, revealing she had a "blast".
The actor, best known for playing sous chef Sydney on the hit FX series, has directed an episode in the new season which is released on streaming service Disney+ today (June 27).
Edebiri directed co-star Liza Colón-Zayas – who plays Tina Marrero – in the episode, believed to be episode six, titled "Napkins".
In a new interview with Variety, the actor praised the cast and crew for their performances and support during the experience.
Related: The Bear star shuts down major fan theory for season 3
"I feel like I got a master class in acting from Liza and from the other actors who got to grace the screen," she said. "I feel like I learned so much from our crew, from our camera department… just from everybody."
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"It was really a blast and an honour to get to helm an episode that showcases everything that Liza can do. I mean, not even everything, like a fraction of the things that she can do. She's such a powerhouse."
Also talking to Variety, Colón-Zayas said she felt safe under Edebiri's direction and called her co-star's directing style "fearless".
"She's open, smart and fearless," she told the publication. "So fearless that I was watching and putting ideas in my head like, 'Why can't I just be so fearless and know that I could take chances like that.' [Edebiri] sailed through it."
Related: The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach struggles with fans' "cousin" comments
In an interview with Vogue back in March, the Bottoms actress recalled how the opportunity to direct an episode of The Bear first came up.
"The first time I met [show creator] Chris [Storer], I was 21, and he was like, 'You're a director'. I was like, 'Mind your business, bro'," she said.
"But then last season, he said, 'Come to set, just come to set, see what happens.' And I was like, 'Oh, okay. Yeah. I think I want to do this.'"
In March, months prior to The Bear's season 3 release, Deadline reported that the show had already been renewed for a fourth season. However, there is yet to be an official confirmation from FX or Hulu about the show's future.
The Bear is available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK. Season 3 premieres on June 27. Season 1 and 2 of The Bear are available to watch exclusively on Disney+ now in the UK.
Emily is an experienced freelance entertainment writer and editor, reporting on all things TV, film, soaps and showbiz. An NCTJ-qualified journalist, with a First Class Honours degree in Journalism from the University of Sussex, Emily is a former Deputy News Editor and Evening News Editor at Digital Spy. She has previously worked at Hello magazine, BBC South News and GoodtoKnow.
A small and big-screen obsessive – with subscriptions to every TV and film service under the sun – Emily knows her movie stars from soap stars, and is always clued up on the latest reality show dumping, just-dropped trailer or off-screen spat. She's interviewed a number of celebrities over the years, with highlights including The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett and GMB's Kate Garraway (who "loved" her trousers).
Emily counts Sharon Horgan and Julia Davis as her TV heroes, and is a loyal Wes Anderson fan. LinkedIn
