Please be mindful when letting it rip and approaching Jessica Williams about the Original Beef of Chicagoland.
The Shrinking star revealed that she’s often mistaken for fellow funnywoman and The Bear star Ayo Edebiri during The Hollywood Reporter‘s latest comedy actress roundtable alongside Kristen Bell, Natasha Lyonne, Michelle Williams, Hannah Einbinder, and Kathryn Hahn. The revelation came after the panelists were asked about the projects that strangers approached them most about.
“For me, it’s Daily Show, Shrinking and The Bear, which I’m not on,” Williams said with a laugh. “I go, ‘Not me, but thank you so much.’ I get that all the time.”
Beth Dubber/Apple TV+
Jessica Williams in ‘Shrinking’
Both got their start within improv and sketch comedy before receiving greater acclaim in such shows as The Bear, about a young fine-dining chef who returns home to run the family sandwich shop after his brother’s passing, and Shrinking, about a grieving therapist whose approach to the practice shifts following the death of his wife.
For her role as therapist Gaby on Shrinking, Williams received her first Emmy nomination at the awards show back in 2023, but the win went to, ironically, Edebiri for her work on The Bear. Williams notably went viral for pretending to cry in upset after Edebiri’s name was called. She clarified the moment during an appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s late night show last year. “I’m a deeply unserious person,” Williams said. “I knew when they said ‘Jessica Williams,’ I wanted to do something, but I didn’t realize they were going to go so fast when they say your name initially.”
Of course, she was not truly upset. “Really happy for Ayo. She’s the best,” Williams said, adding, “I know people say it when they get nominated, but it’s like, it was just an honor to be nominated.”
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Shrinking, headlined by Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, scored a season 3 renewal from Apple TV+ last year. Meanwhile, FX’s The Bear returns for its third season on June 26 on Hulu.
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