Note: This story contains spoilers from “The Bear” Season 4.
Ahead of “The Bear” Season 4, series creator Christopher Storer warned Edwin Lee Gibson that there was a “little surprise” ahead for his character Ebraheim. But it wasn’t until Gibson ran into his co-star Lionel Boyce that he had any idea about what that surprise was.
“I hadn’t read all the scripts yet and Lionel, who plays Marcus, was like ‘Ah, so somebody saves The Bear this season.’ I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Gibson told TheWrap.
It’s a twist that’s perfectly fits Storer’s world that values love above all else and celebrates dedication and greatness in the most unlikely places. At the beginning of Season 4, the Chicago Tribune’s nail-biting review of the restaurant comes with one silver lining: as chaotic as the Bear is, the Beef window run by Ebra remains a standout. Ebra runs with this praise, recruiting a business manager (played by Rob Reiner) to teach him how to make more money from his operation. But over time that manager convinces Ebra the Beef is so well run and financially efficient, it has franchising potential. By the end of the season, it’s Mikey’s (Jon Bernthal) the Beef that may actually save his brother’s dream restaurant, The Bear.
“[Ebraheim] is someone who probably needs this more than anyone knows,” Gibson said. “It’s nice because sometimes you don’t know if people are watching this character.”
Gibson sees Ebra as being similar to Carmy. Both men aren’t easily frazzled, a trait that Gibson credits to Ebra’s past spent traveling from East Africa to the middle of the United States. But more than anything else, both of these men loved Mikey, love the Beef and will do anything in their power to help the business flourish.
“We haven’t seen [Ebra and Mikey] together, but there’s this picture he has that was hanging up in Season 3 and the picture is of him, Mikey and Tina — my dear friend Liza Colón-Zayas. I think Ebra really, really loves this,” Gibson said. “I go back to the family you’re born into versus the family you find. That’s always a major component, even with Cicero [Oliver Platt] giving them time. He’s always giving them more time. He’s invested in them in a different way. Ebraheim just wants it to succeed because if this goes away, it’s not just his job that goes away. His family is at stake. There’s a real urgency.”
The actor also sees Ebra’s story in Season 4 as a personal triumph. In Season 2, Carmy takes a chance on Ebra, sending the older man to culinary school even though Ebra wasn’t sure he’d be able to succeed. But by finding a business manager for the restaurant, Ebra takes a chance on himself and repays Carmy’s trust in him.
“He’s been allowed to have this space crafted out for himself. Once Carmy did that, then he was able to relax and he started to see things in a way that he could help grow,” he said.
In some ways, the making of “The Bear” mirrors the show itself. Gibson emphasized that Storer and executive producer Joanna Calo are very collaborative and “generous.” After learning that Gibson often writes scenes between the show’s characters as a writing exercise, Storer even slipped one of those scenes into the show.
“It’s a very, very unique project to be part of as an actor because you get to work with people that are really possessed in the same way that I’m possessed,” Gibson said. “I eat, drink and sleep art, so it’s just been so lovely to watch people go about their work with all the accolades that everyone’s been showered with. We all return to work ready to go and with the same intensity. We’re not resting on past laurels. We are fueled by the response each season.”
“The Bear” Season 4 is now streaming on Hulu.
