Emmy-winning actress Ayo Edebiri quickly turned down a creepy gift on the red carpet at the premiere of her latest film, “Opus,” and it sparked a healthy dialogue online. As she and her cast mates walked the carpet, they were presented with “Voodoo doll” style statues made in their likeness.
The dolls, made by sculptor and puppet maker Katy Strutz, were a nod to the film’s inclusion of quirky bobblehead dolls used as merch for a legendary pop star played by John Malkovich, who escaped from the limelight and now leads a cult-like island that Edebiri’s character finds herself on.
Although Edebiri may have gotten a glimpse of the clay creations while working on the film, the thought of taking a miniature copy of herself home was a little too much.
A24 captured the reaction of “The Bear” star when the doll was revealed to her on the red carpet.
“This is like my nightmare. My nightmare,” the star said as she quickly closed the gift box. The video montage included the rest of the “Opus” cast, John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis and Murray Bartlett, who all seemed in awe of their miniature versions, but Edebiri was not budging.
She attempted to remain cordial with the journalist, saying, “I can’t have this object in my house. You feel me?”
As the journalist attempted to showcase the doll’s craftsmanship, Edebiri couldn’t hide her discomfort. “It’s beautiful, and I respect the craft,” she said, repeatedly closing the gift box and still avoiding eye contact with the doll. I think the person who made this is amazing. I just can’t.”
She later said, “It’s like haunted, you know what I mean? It’s like someone took my spirit and put it into that thing.”
To end the freaky interaction, Edebiri slammed the box shut on the doll while looking into the camera and saying, “I can’t.”
While some would think the bobblehead figures were nothing but totems of the film, pockets of social media understood Edebiri’s reaction was deeply rooted in her heritage.
“Ayo is NIGERIAN ~and~ BAJAN lmfaooo like PLEASE we don’t play that,” pointed out one follower.
Another person called out the cultural “no-no.” “Yall thought giving a nigerian caribbean a juju doll was gonna fly?”
According to a third person, it’s not just a Nigerian or Caribbean thing. “Giving a black person what can be a voodoo doll is CRAZY.”
“I KNOW she went home and screamed and cussed her PR person out for even bringing her over there @KatyStrutz next time do a little cultural research on the people you give these dolls to. Cuz she’s smiling but RT she’s freaked out,” said one follower, who ended their post stating “in Nigeria,” gifting a Voodoo doll meant something a lot more sinister.
Another follower saw a potential movie plot. “It looked like the beginning of a horror movie where all of the cast who received a doll died or something but she’s the only left and is talking abt it at the psychiatrist chair bc people think she’s insane and are running tests on her to prove that point.”
Other fans commented on Edebiri’s insistence on “keeping the box closed” and their agreement with her that she should not ” play with demons.”
While some mentioned her overreacting or even being “rude” compared to other cast members, many people agree that this could be an instance of “cultural differences.”
