Everyone has a surprising celebrity crush from childhood, but Ayo Edebiri’s confession might be one of the most unexpected yet. While taking part in GQ’s Friendship Quiz with her The Bear co-star Jeremy Allen White, the Emmy-winning actress was asked to reveal who her childhood crush was. White jokingly guessed Henry Winkler, saying he seemed like the type of person Edebiri would have liked. Although she admitted he was “in the ballpark,” that wasn’t the correct answer. Instead, Edebiri revealed that she had a crush on Tony Shalhoub, but with one important clarification.
“Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk,” she said, referring to the beloved detective from the hit series Monk.
Looking back, Edebiri laughed at her younger self’s choice, joking that she was probably “a young child who didn’t know she was neurotic yet.” She also made it clear that her admiration was specifically for Monk rather than Shalhoub in every role.
Her admiration for the actor has followed her well into adulthood. After eventually meeting Shalhoub at an industry event, Edebiri admitted she became completely starstruck. She recalled him introducing her to his wife, actress Brooke Adams, who also appeared on Monk, while she struggled to keep her composure.
The actress has actually spoken about her affection for Shalhoub before. In earlier interviews, she described him as one of her biggest childhood crushes and even joked that she had “vision” when it came to her taste in men because she valued talent, skill and a strong work ethic over conventional heartthrob status.
One of the funniest parts of the story involves her father. After meeting Tony Shalhoub together at an awards event, he became convinced that the two had become friends. Months later, he casually asked his daughter, “How’s Tony?” leaving Edebiri with the awkward task of explaining that they weren’t actually on first-name terms.
The story has delighted fans online, many of whom praised Edebiri for choosing such an unconventional celebrity crush. Others admitted they completely understood the appeal of Adrian Monk, whose brilliant detective skills, quirky personality and quiet charm made him one of television’s most memorable characters.
Edebiri is currently enjoying another successful year following the latest season of The Bear, but it’s this refreshingly honest and funny glimpse into her childhood that has fans talking. In an industry full of predictable celebrity crush stories, confessing to having a crush on TV’s most obsessive detective might just be the most Ayo Edebiri answer imaginable.