[2] She is best known for playing the title role of the 1986 comedy classic Stella í orlofi, for playing various characters in the 1986 sitcom Heilsubælið í Gervahverfi, as well as for her work in the annual comedy special Áramótaskaupið, and for numerous other comedic roles in film, television and on stage.
When she was about two years old her family moved to the countryside, where her father was the headmaster of a boarding school for troubled boys.
[2][5] Shortly after graduation Edda made her debut at the National Theatre of Iceland in Reykjavík in Jökull Jakobssons's drama "The Shoemakers Son the Bakers Daughter" praised by critics and audiences alike as one of the most individual and versatile actresses of her generation.
[4] During her rather short spell as a star player in serious dramas at the beginning of her career on stage and television, as well as being a featured leading lady in several epic motion pictures, she addressed audiences during evening performances in the theatre with a variety of classical and contemporary parts, throwing in matinées of family and children's shows, switching into her comedy gear after almost every evening performance, rushing to the nearest comedy club with her stand up routine.
The demand for her services as a comedienne increased considerably during the first two years of her career, eventually turning her into a full-time leading force on the comedy circuit in Iceland.