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Lupita Nyong'o held her position. More than ten years after winning the Best Supporting Actress award at the 2014 Oscars for her first performance in 12 Years a Slave, Lupita revealed her reasons for declining subsequent roles.
"Winning an Academy Award occurred right at the beginning of my career," she shared with Angélique Kidjo during a CNN Inside Africa interview on Nov. 22. "It was for the first film I had ever made." "It truly established the standards for everything I've accomplished since."
"But what's intriguing is that, after I received that Academy Award, you'd expect, 'Oh, I'm going to land lead roles everywhere,'" she added. Instead, she was informed, "'Oh, Lupita, we want you to star in another film where you portray a slave, but this time you’re on a slave ship.'"
After winning the golden statuette for her portrayal of Patsey in the film directed by Steve McQueen, the Kenyan-Mexican actress was astonished by the prospects that presented themselves.
"It was an incredibly gentle period," the Us star reminisced. "You have certain expectations regarding your career." There were reflections discussing, 'Is this the start or conclusion of this African woman's career?'
"I needed to block out all those self-righteous speakers because, ultimately, I am not just a concept," she went on. "I am a real individual." I enjoy being a cheerful fighter for transforming the concepts of what it is to be African.
Lupita preferred to uphold her principles instead of participating in any projects that didn't align with her beliefs.
"If that implies I take on one fewer job each year to ensure I am not reinforcing the stereotypes associated with individuals from my continent," she clarified, "then I’m willing to do that."
Her choice paid off, with the actress appearing in the Liam Neeson film Non-Stop, as well as the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Jungle Book, and Queen of Katwe over the following two years.
One of her most prominent roles was alongside the late Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther, where she portrayed the warrior Nakia, who is also T'Challa's love interest.
"When addressing African representation in narratives," she shared with Mama Knows It All during a 2022 joint interview with co-star Danai Gurira, "there’s a profound sense of duty and longing, a deep longing to portray African women on screen who embody the reality we recognize them to be."
"Through these characters, we aimed for them to be women we are familiar with," she went on. "The women I know are intricate, profound, and they encompass more than simply the man by their side." I believe it was crucial for us to portray women as powerful and autonomous.
This also involved breaking down what those attributions signified for their characters.
"Power does not imply a lack of susceptibility," she remarked. "It indicates that you possess the inner strength to overcome challenges and to ask for assistance." Strength is inherently a multifaceted concept. It mattered to us that the women appeared to be complete. It's not difficult if you dedicate yourself to conveying humanity and not.
