On Sunday night's 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, The Bear star Ayo Edebiri was starstruck by country music icon Reba McEntire and couldn't contain herself while meeting her on the red carpet.
Edebiri, nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series this year, walked up to McEntire alongside her Reba TV series costar Melissa Peterman and exclaimed, "Oh my God!"
She continued gushing over seeing the two stars of the CW sitcom, who are reuniting for the upcoming NBC comedy series Happy's Place. McEntire and Peterman were at the ceremony to present the night's Emmy for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series.
After Edebiri coolly collected herself, she told the 2000s sitcom duo:
“I’m trying to be so normal. Oh my God, my legs are shaking."
The women engaged in a brief but lively discussion, exchanging compliments. Edebiri shared that she had spent "so many hours" of her life watching the two.
A flattered Peterman replied:
“Well, we’re spending hours with you now."
The group then snapped a photo for posterity, preserving the moment rising star Edebiri met her female comedy role models.
Fans thought her fangirling over McEntire was so pure and relatable.
Later, Edebiri caught up with Orange Is the New Black former Emmy nom Laverne Cox, who was capturing the convivial vibe for E! News ahead of the ceremony on the red carpet.
Edebiri shared her excitement with Cox over meeting Reba, saying:
"I absolutely freaked out when I saw Reba McEntire."
The 28-year-old standup comic said she was "really really really proud" of herself for not bursting into song in front of the music legend and singing the "entire theme song" from Reba, "I'm a Survivor."
She did, however, quote from the song's lyrics for the camera, sing-talking:
"A single mom who works real hard, who loves her kids and never stops."
Cox wrapped things up, saying, "There you have it. Ayo Edebiri."
To which Edebiri replied:
"Hey, I'm a survivor, okay?"
You can watch the clip here.
- YouTubeyoutu.be
This was Edebiri's second Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony. Her first was in January when she took home the statue for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the first season of The Bear.
This time, she was up for the same series in the leading actress category, but the Emmy ultimately went to Hacks star Jean Smart.
There were two Emmy ceremonies this year due to the Hollywood strikes last year.
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, originally scheduled for September 18, 2023, was rescheduled for January 15, 2024, six months after nominations were initially announced.
The 76th Emmys aired Sunday night as scheduled, which led to the double ceremonies this year.
