The return of The Bear for its third season sees Ayo Edebiri stepping into a new role, in addition to starring as Sydney — going behind the camera to direct episode six.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity, I loved working with my fellow cast members from that vantage point because it really just gave me so much more appreciation for how good they are,” she told The Hollywood Reporter at the season three premiere in Los Angeles on Tuesday. “They are so good, and I got to experience that from a third-eye view.”
For her directorial debut, Edebiri noted that she didn’t use any particular director as inspiration and mostly took her cues from creator Chris Storer. “Energy kind of goes from top down. I don’t know what my style is, but I tried my best to just be in a good mood, try to talk decently to people, because that I think can do a lot for how the workday flows,” she added.
Star Jeremy Allen White sang Edebiri’s praises for her additional role on the show, calling her a “natural.”
“She’s really confident; she’s such a beautiful, intuitive performer, and I think that the same goes for her as a director,” he continued. “It was wonderful to witness.”
Asked if he would ever want to direct an episode of the show, White admitted he wasn’t sure.
“I’ve thought about directing a lot before — like with acting, there’s so many people who want to act, there’s so many people that really want to do it, and I really want to do it, and it really feels necessary for me as a person to be able to do it, and I don’t feel that way about directing,” he explained. “And I know how many people would just kill to have a moment to direct. If one day the material comes along where I’m like, ‘yeah, I feel like that’s my story or a story I have to tell,’ yeah sure, maybe. But, I don’t know. I’m sensitive to telling somebody else’s story, or a story that I feel like I’m not put on this earth to tell in some way.”
Season three will keep White busy enough, as Carmy frees himself from the walk-in fridge and has his mind set on making his Chicago restaurant better than ever.
“We’re running this fine dining establishment this time and we’re going for a [Michelin] star, it’s real,” White said of the new season. “Carmy’s out for perfection for himself, and he demands perfection from everyone around him. So the stakes are raised, it’s intense.”
Season three will once again co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Lionel Boyce, Abby Elliott, Matty Matheson, Liza Colón-Zayas and Oliver Platt, with surely plenty of celebrity guest stars sprinkled in along the way. The actors confirmed that the anxiety levels would be high again this season, and also reacted to Edebiri’s time in the director’s chair.
“She shadowed last season and having her on set, she was so helpful just in terms of ideas and creativity,” Elliott said. “I’m just so thrilled for her and her episode is beautiful.” Colón-Zayas praised the actress for being super prepared, remembering, “We met, we discussed, we shared ideas. So it didn’t feel painful ever, it was very easy. It was like Liza, don’t screw this up for her!”
All episodes of The Bear season three will drop at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Tuesday, three hours ahead of the show’s original June 27 date.
