Tony Shalhoub — as Adrian Monk, to be exact.

You’ll never guess who Ayo Edebiri’s first celebrity crush was

Tony Shalhoub — as Adrian Monk, to be exact.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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July 2, 2026 6:33 p.m. ET

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Ayo Edebiri. Credit:

TheStewartofNY/Getty

- Ayo Edebiri's childhood crush was Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, and she's not afraid to admit it.

- "I probably was just a young child who didn't know she was neurotic yet," she said, clarifying that the crush was "specific to Monk."

- Edebiri's father was convinced that she and the *Monk *star were good friends after they met him at an industry event.

It's no mystery why Ayo Edebiri has a crush on this detective.

While participating in GQ's Friendship Quiz with *The Bear *costar Jeremy Allen White, Edebiri asked him, "Who was my childhood crush?" White jokingly responded with Henry Winkler. Edebiri, shocked, said that White was "not far off" and "in the ballpark." White didn't bother with another guess and admitted defeat.

"Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk," the actress revealed.

Tony Shalhoub at the 'Noga' premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in June 2026.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty

As for what she likes the most about him, she said, "I probably was just a young child who didn't know she was neurotic yet," clarifying that the crush was "specific to Monk."

"I have run into him enough times and his wife. Actually, the first time we met — this is so embarrassing — I was, like, verklempt. He was like, 'This is my wife, Brooke Adams.' And I was like, 'No, for sure,' and respect to the union."

Edebiri noted that Adams was "on *Monk *a lot" and is "very excellent in it."

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The *Bottoms *star added that she also would have accepted Lee Thompson Young on *The* *Famous Jett Jackson, Veggie Tales*' Larry the Cucumber, and a girl named Fatima who used to work at Dunkin' Donuts.

Edebiri previously spoke about her admiration for the *Marvelous Mrs. Maisel *actor in an interview with *Glamour *in June 2022.

When asked what she thinks about before she falls asleep, she responded, "What am I going to do the next day…. Tony Shalhoub was another one of my big crushes, so sometimes Tony Shalhoub. Sometimes tap-dancing. And Dulé Hill, that was another big crush."

Added Edebiri of her taste in men, "I was a child with vision, that’s what I’ll say. I value skill, I value hard work ethic. I love the whole package."

Tony Shalhoub and Ayo Edebiri at the Emmy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles in January 2024.

Monica Schipper/WireImage

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She also gushed about Shalhoub on *The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon** *in June 2024, admitting that he was one of the first celebrities both she and her parents were overly excited to meet, especially since the whole family watched *Monk *together.

"I went up to Tony Shalhoub like a mad man. And I was like, 'You mean everything to me,'" Edebiri said of introducing herself to the actor. Her father also managed to get a picture with Shalhoub on the red carpet at an event.

Ayo Edebiri at 'The Bear' Final Family Meal Event in New York in June 2026.

TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic

Months after the interaction, her father asked her, "How's Tony?" and Edebiri said she had to explain to her father that unfortunately she and Monk weren't friends like that.

The final season of *The Bear *is available to stream on Hulu.

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