HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (, ; ; born 1 March 1983) is a Kenyan-Mexican actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, and nominations for two
Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
and a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
. The daughter of Kenyan politician Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, she was born in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, where her father was teaching, and was raised in
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
from the age of three. She attended college in the United States, earning a bachelor's degree in film and theatre studies from Hampshire College. She later began her career in Hollywood as a production assistant. In 2008, she made her acting debut with the short film ''
East River The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Quee ...
'' and subsequently returned to Kenya to star in the television series '' Shuga'' (2009–2012). She then pursued a master's degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama. Soon after her graduation, she had her first feature film role as
Patsey Patsey (ca. 1830–after 1863) was an African-American enslaved woman. Solomon Northup wrote about her in his book ''Twelve Years a Slave'', which is the source for most of the information known about her. There have been two adaptations of the b ...
in
Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and ...
's biopic '' 12 Years a Slave'' (2013), for which she received critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Nyong'o made her Broadway debut as a teenage orphan in the play '' Eclipsed'' (2015), for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She went on to perform a
motion capture Motion capture (sometimes referred as mo-cap or mocap, for short) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robo ...
role as
Maz Kanata Maz Kanata is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', she is a computer-generated imagery character voiced and performed through motion capture by Lupita Nyong'o. Maz, a ...
in the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy (2015–2019) and a voice role as Raksha in ''
The Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, w ...
'' (2016). Nyong'o's career progressed with her role as
Nakia Nakia Reynoso (born February 20, 1975), known professionally as Nakia, is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor living in Austin, Texas. He is a native of Fort Payne, Alabama. Professional background Nakia moved to Austin in 20 ...
in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...
superhero films ''
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...
'' (2018) and its sequel (2022) and her starring role in
Jordan Peele Jordan Haworth Peele (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his film and television work in the comedy and horror genres. Peele's breakout role came in 2003, when he was hired as a cast membe ...
's horror film '' Us'' (2019). Aside from acting, Nyong'o supports
historic preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK), is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...
. She is vocal about preventing sexual harassment, working for women's and animal rights. In 2014, she was named the most beautiful woman by ''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
''. In 2019, Nyong'o wrote a children's book named '' Sulwe'', which became a number-one ''New York Times'' Best-Seller. She also received nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for narrating two episodes of the docu-series ''Serengeti''. In 2020, Nyong'o was named one of Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women by ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
''.


Early life

Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born on 1 March 1983 in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, to
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
n parents, Dorothy Ogada BuyuStated on ''
Finding Your Roots ''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is a documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is compiled wi ...
'', 14 November 2017
and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, a college professor. The family had left
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
in 1980 for a period because of political repression and unrest; Peter's brother, Charles Nyong'o, disappeared after he was thrown off a ferry in 1980. Nyong'o holds dual Kenyan and Mexican citizenship and identifies as "Kenyan-Mexican". She is of Luo descent on both sides of her family, and is the second of six children. It is a tradition of the Luo people to name a child after the events of the day, so her parents gave her a Spanish name, Lupita (a
diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A ( abbreviated ) is a word-form ...
of Guadalupe). Her father was once a Minister for Medical Services in the Kenyan government and later became the Governor of the city of
Kisumu Kisumu ( ) is the third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa (census 2019). It is the third-largest city after Kampala and Mwanza in the Lake Victoria Basin. Apart from being an important p ...
, Kenya. At the time of her birth, he was a visiting lecturer in political science at
El Colegio de México El Colegio de México, A.C. (commonly known as Colmex, English: The College of Mexico) is a Mexican institute of higher education, specializing in teaching and research in social sciences and humanities. The college was founded in 1940 by the ...
in Mexico City. The family returned to their native Kenya when Nyong'o was less than one year old, after her father was appointed as a professor at the
University of Nairobi The University of Nairobi (uonbi or UoN; ) is a collegiate research university based in Nairobi. It is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution dates back to 1956, it did not become an independent univer ...
. She grew up primarily in Nairobi, in an artistic family, and describes her upbringing as "middle class, suburban." Family get-togethers often included performances by the children, and trips to see plays. She attended Rusinga International School in Kenya and acted in school plays. At age 14, Nyong'o made her professional acting debut as
Juliet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist ...
in ''
Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...
'' in a production by the
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ...
-based repertory company
Phoenix Players Phoenix Players was the largest and oldest repertory theatre company in East and Central Africa. Situated in Nairobi, Kenya it was registered in 1983 as a non-profit making company limited by guarantee. The theatre was opened following the clos ...
. While a member of the Phoenix Players, Nyong'o also performed in the plays ''On The Razzle'' and ''There Goes The Bride''. Nyong'o credits the performances of Whoopi Goldberg and
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', b ...
in ''
The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.
'' with inspiring her to pursue a professional acting career. When she was 16, her parents sent her to Mexico for seven months to learn Spanish. During those seven months, Nyong'o lived in
Taxco Taxco de Alarcón (; usually referred to as simply Taxco) is a small city and administrative center of Taxco de Alarcón Municipality located in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Taxco is located in the north-central part of the state, from the ci ...
, Guerrero, and took classes at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México's Learning Centre for Foreigners. Nyong'o later attended St. Mary's School in Nairobi, where she received an IB Diploma in 2001 and received the mean grade of 6 out of 7 and came second in her class. She went to the United States for college, graduating from Hampshire College with a degree in film and theatre studies. In 2013, her father was elected to represent Kisumu County in the
Kenyan Senate The Senate of the Republic of Kenya is one of the two Houses of the Parliament of Kenya, along with the National Assembly. The Senate was first established as part of Kenya's 1963 Constitution. After being abolished in 1966, the Senate was ...
and by 2017, he became Governor. Nyong'o's mother is the managing director of the Africa Cancer Foundation and her own communications company. Other family members include Tavia Nyong'o, a scholar and professor at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...
; Omondi Nyong'o, a paediatric ophthalmologist in Palo Alto, California, US; Kwame Nyong'o, one of Kenya's leading animators and leading technology expert; and Isis Nyong'o, a media and technology leader who was named one of Africa's most powerful young women by ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' magazine.


Career


2005–2015: Early work and breakthrough

Nyong'o began her career working as part of the production crew for several films, including
Fernando Meirelles Fernando Ferreira Meirelles (; born 9 November 1955) is a Brazilian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for co-directing the film '' City of God'', released in 2002 in Brazil and in 2003 in the U.S. by Miramax Films, whic ...
's '' The Constant Gardener'' (2005), Mira Nair's '' The Namesake'' (2006), and
Salvatore Stabile Salvatore "Sal" Stabile is an American television and feature film writer, director and producer. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1974, he directed his first feature film, '' Gravesend'' (1997), when he was 19 years old. Stabile has gone on to write ...
's ''
Where God Left His Shoes ''Where God Left His Shoes'' is a 2007 American drama film written and directed by Salvatore Stabile and starring John Leguizamo, Leonor Varela, David Castro, Samantha M. Rose, Jerry Ferrara, and Manny Pérez. It premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Fi ...
'' (2007). She cites Ralph Fiennes, the British star of ''The Constant Gardener'', as someone who inspired her to pursue a professional acting career. In 2008, Nyong'o starred in the short film ''
East River The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Quee ...
'', directed by Marc Grey and shot in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. She returned to Kenya that same year and appeared in the Kenyan television series '' Shuga'', an MTV Base Africa/
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to c ...
drama about
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
prevention. In 2009, she wrote, directed, and produced the documentary '' In My Genes'', about the discriminatory treatment of Kenya's albino population. It played at several film festivals and won first prize at the 2008 Five College Film Festival. Nyong'o also directed the music video "The Little Things You Do" by Wahu, featuring Bobi Wine, which was nominated for the Best Video Award at the
MTV Africa Music Awards 2009 The 2nd MTV Africa Music Awards were held on October 10, 2009 at the gymnasium of the Moi International Sports Centre complex in Nairobi, Kenya and were hosted by Haitian-American artist Wyclef Jean. Performers There were several performers, s ...
. Nyong'o enrolled in a master's degree program in acting at the Yale School of Drama. At
Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
, she appeared in many stage productions, including Gertrude Stein's '' Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights'', Chekhov's ''
Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the di ...
'', and
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunk ...
and
The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some cri ...
''. While at Yale, she won the Herschel Williams Prize in the 2011–12 academic year for "acting students with outstanding ability" . Immediately after graduating from Yale, Nyong'o landed her breakthrough role when she was cast in
Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and ...
's historical drama '' 12 Years a Slave'' (2013). The film, which met with widespread critical acclaim, is based on the life of
Solomon Northup Solomon Northup (born July 10, 1807-1808) was an American abolitionist and the primary author of the memoir '' Twelve Years a Slave''. A free-born African American from New York, he was the son of a freed slave and a free woman of color. A f ...
(played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free-born
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
man of upstate New York who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in Washington, DC, in 1841. Nyong'o portrayed
Patsey Patsey (ca. 1830–after 1863) was an African-American enslaved woman. Solomon Northup wrote about her in his book ''Twelve Years a Slave'', which is the source for most of the information known about her. There have been two adaptations of the b ...
, a slave who works alongside Northup at a Louisiana cotton plantation; her performance garnered rave reviews. ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' reviewer Ian Freer wrote that she "gives one of the most committed big-screen debuts imaginable," and Peter Travers of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' called her "a spectacular young actress who imbues Patsey with grit and radiant grace". She was nominated for several awards for ''12 Years a Slave'', including a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and two
Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
, including Best Supporting Actress, which she won. She also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the sixth black actress to win the award. The blue Prada dress she wore to the awards garnered substantial media attention and acclaim, being considered one of the classic red carpet gowns in Hollywood history. She is the second African actress to win the award, the first Kenyan actress to win an Oscar, and the first Mexican to win the award. She is also the fifteenth actress to win an Oscar for a film debut performance. Following a supporting role in the action-thriller '' Non-Stop'' (2014), Nyong'o co-starred in '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015) as
Force In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a ...
-sensitive space pirate
Maz Kanata Maz Kanata is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', she is a computer-generated imagery character voiced and performed through motion capture by Lupita Nyong'o. Maz, a ...
, a CGI character created using
motion capture Motion capture (sometimes referred as mo-cap or mocap, for short) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robo ...
technology. She had wanted to play a role where her appearance was not relevant, and the acting provided a different challenge from her role as Patsey. Scott Mendelson of ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' described Nyong'o's role as "the center of the film's best sequence," and Stephanie Zacharek of ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' magazine called her a "delightful minor character". She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the
42nd Saturn Awards The 42nd Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films and honoring the best in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other genres in film, television, home entertainment, and local theatre in 2015 and early ...
and Best Virtual Performance at the
2016 MTV Movie Awards The 2016 MTV Movie Awards were held on April 9, 2016, from Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California, as the first such event in 21 years, as well as being the first Movie Awards to be held outdoors. In addition, this year's awards also beca ...
for her role. In 2015, Nyong'o returned to the stage with a starring role as an unnamed girl in the play '' Eclipsed'', written by Danai Gurira. The play takes place during the chaos of the
Second Liberian Civil War The Second Liberian Civil War was a conflict in the West African nation of Liberia lasted from 1999 to 2003. It was preceded by the First Liberian Civil War, which ended in 1996. President Charles Taylor came to power in 1997 after victory in ...
, where the captive wives of a rebel officer band together to form a community, until the balance of their lives are upset by the arrival of a new girl (played by Nyong'o).''Eclipsed'' became the Public Theater's fastest-selling new production in recent history and won Nyong'o an
Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the ...
for Outstanding Performance. The play premiered on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre the following year. It was the first play to premiere on Broadway with an all-black and female creative cast and crew. Nyong'o had understudied the play at Yale in 2009 and was terrified to play the character onstage. She turned down film roles in favour of the production. Her performance garnered critical acclaim;
Charles Isherwood Charles Isherwood (born 1964/65) is an American theater critic. Education Isherwood is a graduate of Stanford University. Career Isherwood wrote for '' Backstage West'' in Los Angeles. In 1993, he joined the staff of ''Variety'', where he was pr ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' hailed Nyong'o as "one of the most radiant young actors to be seen on Broadway in recent seasons," and added that she "shines with a compassion that makes us see beyond the suffering to the indomitable humanity of its characters." Her performance in ''Eclipsed'' earned her a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance and a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. In addition, she was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Play at the
Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newsp ...
and a Distinguished Performance Award at the Drama League Award.


2016–present: Worldwide recognition

Nyong'o co-starred in
Jon Favreau Jonathan Kolia Favreau (; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as '' Rudy'' (1993), '' PCU'' (1994), '' Swingers'' (1996), ''Very Bad Things'' (1998), '' Deep Impact'' (1998) ...
's ''
The Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, w ...
'' (2016), a live-action/CGI adaptation of its 1967 animated original, voicing Raksha, a mother wolf who adopts
Mowgli Mowgli () is a fictional character and the protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's ''The Jungle Book'' stories. He is a feral boy from the Pench area in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, India, who originally appeared in Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" (c ...
(played by Neel Sethi).
Robbie Collin Robbie Collin is a British film critic. Collin studied aesthetics and the philosophy of film at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. He edited the university's student newspaper, '' The Saint''. Collin has been the chief film critic at ''The D ...
of ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' wrote in his review that Nyong'o brought a "gentle dignity" to her role. She later co-starred in Mira Nair's '' Queen of Katwe'' (2016), a biopic based on the true story about the rise of a young Ugandan chess prodigy,
Phiona Mutesi Phiona Mutesi (born 28 March 1996) is a Ugandan chess player. She has represented Uganda at four Women's Chess Olympiads, and is one of the first titled female players in Ugandan chess history. Mutesi is the subject of a 2012 book and a 2016 fil ...
(played by Madina Nalwanga), who becomes a
Woman Candidate Master FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...
after her performances at World
Chess Olympiads The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams representing nations of the world compete. FIDE organises the tournament and selects the host nation. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE held an Online Chess Olympiad in 2020 and ...
. Nyong'o played Phiona's protective mother, Nakku Harriet. Brian Tallerico of
RogerEbert.com ''RogerEbert.com'' is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the ''Chicago Sun-Times ...
said, "Nyong'o is phenomenal. She has an incredible ability to convey backstory." Geoff Berkshire of '' Variety'' wrote, "Simply radiant in her first live action role since winning an Oscar for ''12 Years a Slave'' .. yong'oimbues what could have been a stock mother figure with such inner fire that Harriet feels worthy of a movie all her own." Nyong'o reprised her role as Maz Kanata in
Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film ''Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Transitio ...
's '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' (2017), as well as in the animated series '' Star Wars Forces of Destiny''. The following year, she starred as spy
Nakia Nakia Reynoso (born February 20, 1975), known professionally as Nakia, is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor living in Austin, Texas. He is a native of Fort Payne, Alabama. Professional background Nakia moved to Austin in 20 ...
, a former member of Dora Milaje, a team of women who serve as
special forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equi ...
of Wakanda and personal bodyguards to T'Challa / Black Panther ( Chadwick Boseman), in Ryan Coogler's superhero film ''
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...
'' (2018), which marked the eighteenth film in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...
. In preparation for the role, Nyong'o learned to speak Xhosa and undertook judo, jujitsu, silat, and Filipino martial arts training. David Betancourt of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' wrote that the film "takes superhero cinema where it's never gone before by not being afraid to embrace its blackness" and particularly praised Nyong'o for avoiding stereotypical depictions of a black leading lady, stating that she "throws punches, shoots guns and steals hearts in a role she seems born for." ''Black Panther'' grossed over $1.34 billion worldwide to emerge as the eleventh highest-grossing film of all time. Nyong'o received a
Saturn Award for Best Actress The Saturn Award for Best Actress is one of the annual Saturn Awards given by the American professional organization, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. The Saturn Awards are the oldest film-specialized reward of achievements ...
nomination for the role. Following the success of ''Black Panther'', Nyong'o starred as a kindergarten teacher dealing with a zombie apocalypse in the comedy horror film '' Little Monsters'' (2019). Amy Nicholson of ''Variety'' wrote that Nyong'o's "deadpan humor and grace ennoble the slapstick". The 2019
South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...
marked the premiere of her next release,
Jordan Peele Jordan Haworth Peele (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his film and television work in the comedy and horror genres. Peele's breakout role came in 2003, when he was hired as a cast membe ...
's psychological horror film '' Us''. It tells the story of a family who are confronted by their
doppelgänger A doppelgänger (), a compound noun formed by combining the two nouns (double) and (walker or goer) (), doppelgaenger or doppelganger is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person. In fiction and mythology, a doppelg ...
s. Emily Yoshida of ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' labelled Nyong'o's dual role "astounding" and found her performance as the doppelgänger "an achievement on another level; a physical, vocal, and emotional performance so surgical in its uncanniness that it almost feels like it could not be the work of a flesh-and-blood human." ''Us'' grossed over $255 million worldwide against its $20 million budget. At
Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. About 70% of the studio lies within the unincorporated county island known as Universal City while the rest lies w ...
's
Halloween Horror Nights ''Universal's Halloween Horror Nights'' (originally ''Universal Studios Fright Nights'' in 1991) is an annual Halloween-themed event at Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan and Singapore. The event was originally named ' ...
, Nyong'o attended a maze inspired by the film and appeared inside the attraction dressed as her character Red. Nyong'o earned a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role and won an
NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
for Best Actress. Also in 2019, Nyong'o narrated the
Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...
documentary series ''Serengeti'', about wildlife in the
Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning northern Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serenget ...
ecosystem. Nyong'o spoke on the lack of African women narrating nature documentaries and how the ''Serengeti'' team encouraged her to use her native Kenyan accent on the series. She earned her first
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination for her narration as an Outstanding Narrator at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, making her the third black woman to be nominated in the category. She was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Character Voice-Over Performance. She hosted the
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
's documentary '' Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong'o'', in which she undertook a journey across
Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...
, West Africa to search for the Dahomey Amazons. She left the production of The Woman King in which she had been cast around the time of filming this documentary. Nyong'o reprised her role as Maz Kanata for the third time in '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'', which marked the final installment of the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy. She appeared on the Global Citizen organised television event, ''
Together at Home ''One World: Together at Home'' (also known as ''Together at Home'') is a benefit concert that was organized by Global Citizen of New York City and curated by singer Lady Gaga in support of the World Health Organization. The special was intended t ...
'' and joined the radio play presentation of ''
Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father ...
'' from The Public Theater and
WNYC WNYC is the trademark and a set of call letters shared by WNYC (AM) and WNYC-FM, a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations located in New York City. WNYC is owned by New York Public Radio (NYPR), a nonprofit organization that ...
as The Narrator. Nyong'o was featured in
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
's musical film '' Black Is King'', which premiered on
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
in July 2020. Nyong’o partnered with Nairobi-based media and tech startup Kukua in support of YouTube Originals'
STEM Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
-themed, ''Super Sema'' (2021), which became Africa's first kid superhero animated series. ''Super Sema'' follows the adventures of an extraordinary young African girl, Sema, who lives in the neo-African-futuristic community of Dunia. Nyong’o serves as an executive producer and voice actress in the series. Afterwards, she starred alongside Juan Castano in
Saheem Ali Saheem Ali is a Kenyan theatre director. He is Associate Artistic Director at The Public Theater in New York City. Early life and education Ali was born in Nairobi, Kenya. He earned his undergraduate degree from Northeastern University and he ...
's bilingual radio play adaptation of ''Romeo & Juliet'', titled ''Romeo y Julieta'' (2021). She also provided narration for
Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...
's documentary, '' Who Are You, Charlie Brown?'' (2021), based on the origins of
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and inf ...
and its creator Charles M. Schulz. Nyong'o won the Outstanding Limited Performance in a Children's Program category at the
48th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards The 48th Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, were presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), honoring the best in U.S. daytime television Daytime is a block of television programming taking place during the ...
for her involvement in
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
's television series, '' Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices'' (2020). In 2021, Nyong'o reprised her narration role in ''Serengeti'' (2019), where she earned her second Primetime Emmy Award nomination. The following year, Nyong'o starred in
Simon Kinberg Simon David Kinberg (born August 2, 1973) is a British-born American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film franchise, and has also written such films as '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' and '' Sherlock Holmes''. H ...
's ensemble spy-thriller '' The 355'' (2022) alongside
Jessica Chastain Jessica Michelle Chastain (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress and producer. Known for primarily starring in films with feminist themes, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. ''Time'' ...
, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, and Diane Kruger. She also guest-starred in Netflix's adult-animated sitcom, ''
Human Resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms includ ...
'' (2022) as Asha, a Shame Wizard who became Lionel's interest. Later, Nyong'o reprised the role of Nakia in '' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'', the sequel to the original ''Black Panther'' film, released in November 2022.


Upcoming projects

Nyong'o is developing a television series based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel ''
Americanah ''Americanah'' is a 2013 novel by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, for which Adichie won the 2013 U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. ''Americanah'' tells the story of a young Nigerian woman, Ifemelu, who immigrates t ...
'', which she will produce and star in. She will produce and star in ''Born a Crime'', a film adaptation of Trevor Noahs memoir of the same name, in which she will portray Noah's mother, Patricia. She will be reuniting with director Abe Forsythe and the creative team behind the horror comedy film ''Little Monsters'' for a starring role in a science fiction comedy film. She will also produce an animated
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...
based on her number-one best-selling children's book, '' Sulwe'' (2019), for Netflix. In addition, Nyong'o will star in the horror film '' A Quiet Place: Day One''.


Personal life

Nyong'o resides in the New York City borough of
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. She is a fluent speaker of English, Spanish, Luo, and Swahili. On 27 February 2014, at the '' Essence'' Black Women in Hollywood luncheon in Beverly Hills, she delivered a speech on the beauty of Black women and opened up about the insecurities she had as a teenager. She said her views changed when she saw South Sudanese model Alek Wek become successful. In 2014, the
National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 ...
recruited Nyong'o in an effort to oppose development, including a new minor league baseball stadium, in the Shockoe Bottom area of
Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...
. The historic neighbourhood, one of Richmond's oldest, was the site of major slave-trading before the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
. On 19 October 2014, Nyong'o sent a letter to Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones, which she posted on social media, asking him to withdraw support for the development proposal. She later lent her voice in
Conservation International Conservation International (CI) is an American nonprofit environmental organization headquartered in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia. CI's work focuses on science, policy and partnership with businesses, governments and communities. The org ...
's "Nature is Speaking" campaign as the flower. In June 2015, Nyong'o returned to Kenya and announced that she would advocate globally for elephants with the international conservation organisation WildAid, as well as promote women's issues, acting and the arts in Kenya. WildAid announced Nyong'o as their Global Elephant Ambassador. Nyong'o is involved with the organisation Mother Health International, which aims to provide relief to women and children in
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
by creating locally engaged birthing centres. She said she had never thought much about birthing practices until her sister introduced her to MHI executive director Rachel Zaslow. Nyong'o felt bringing attention to such important but overlooked issues is a mandate for her as an artist. '' Variety'' honoured her for her work in 2016. In April 2016, Nyong'o launched an anti-poaching "hearts and minds" campaign with her organisation Wildaid in advance of Kenya Wildlife Service's history-making ivory burn that occurred 30 April. The Kenyan government burned 105 tonnes of
ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals i ...
and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn in a demonstration of their zero tolerance approach to poachers and smugglers who were threatening the survival of elephants and
rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct specie ...
in the wild. In October 2017—in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal and the
MeToo movement #MeToo is a social movement against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media ...
—Nyong'o wrote an op-ed for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' divulging that Weinstein had sexually harassed her on two separate occasions in 2011, when she was a student at Yale. She had vowed never to work with him thereafter, hence turning down an offer to star in '' Southpaw'' (2015), a Weinstein-distributed film. She further wrote about her commitment to work with female directors, as well as male
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
directors who have not abused their power. Nyong'o's op-ed was part of a collection of stories by ''The New York Times'' and ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' that won the 2018
Pulitzer Prize for Public Service The Pulitzer Prize for Public Service is one of the fourteen American Pulitzer Prizes annually awarded for journalism. It recognizes a distinguished example of meritorious public service by a newspaper or news site through the use of its journalis ...
. Nyong'o made her writing debut with a book titled '' Sulwe'' (2019), which is published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ''Sulwe'' ( Luo for "star") is the story of a five-year-old Kenyan girl, who has the darkest complexion in her family, for which Nyong'o drew on her own childhood experiences. The book became a number-one ''New York Times'' Best-Seller. ''Sulwe'' was selected for the 2020 Illustrator Honor at the
Coretta Scott King Award The Coretta Scott King Award is an annual award presented by the Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table, part of the American Library Association (ALA). Named for Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., this award r ...
s and won for Outstanding Literary Work – Children at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards. In September 2019, Nyong'o became an ambassador for
Michael Kors Michael David Kors (born Karl Anderson Jr. August 9, 1959) is an American fashion designer. He is the chief creative officer of his brand, Michael Kors, which sells men's and women's ready-to-wear, accessories, watches, jewelry, footwear, and f ...
' "Watch Hunger Stop" campaign. In October, Nyong'o and her mother were honoured at The Harlem School of the Arts' Mask Ball with a "Visionary Lineage Award". Then, she was honoured at WildAid to receive the "Champion of the Year" award in November. In 2020, The Africa Center announced Nyong'o as a member of its board of trustees.


In the media

Nyong'o was mentioned in Christian rapper
Lecrae Lecrae Devaughn Moore (born October 9, 1979), mononymously known as Lecrae, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record and film producer, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the president, co-owner and co-founder of the ...
's song "Nuthin'" from his 2014 album '' Anomaly'' and was referenced by
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...
in his verse from Jay Electronica's song "We Made It". She was also mentioned in the parody song "American Apparel Ad Girls" by the drag queens Willam Belli,
Courtney Act Shane Gilberto Jenek (born 18 February 1982), better known under the stage name Courtney Act, is an Australian drag queen, singer and television personality. Courtney first came to prominence competing on the first season of '' Australian Id ...
and Alaska Thunderfuck. Nyong'o was mentioned in the 2015 song "Nerea" by Kenyan afro-pop band
Sauti Sol Sauti Sol is a Kenyan band formed in Nairobi, Kenya, by vocalists Bien-Aimé Baraza, Willis Chimano and Savara Mudigi in 2005. Initially an a cappella group, guitarist Polycarp Otieno joined before they named themselves Sauti Sol. Sauti Sol ...
. Rapper
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accents ...
mentioned Lupita in her verse on A$AP Ferg's remix of " Plain Jane" and was referenced by rapper Wale in his song "Black is Gold". Singer
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
mentioned Nyong'o in the single "
Brown Skin Girl "Brown Skin Girl" (stylized in uppercase) is a song by American singer Beyoncé, Guyanese-American rapper Saint Jhn, and Nigerian singer Wizkid, featuring Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy Carter. Produced by P2J and Beyoncé, it is taken from the ...
" from '' The Lion King Soundtrack'' (2019). Nyong'o was included in Derek Blasberg's 2013 best-dressed list in ''
Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the ...
''. In 2014, she was chosen as one of the faces for Miu Miu's spring campaign, with Elizabeth Olsen, Elle Fanning and Bella Heathcote. She has also appeared on the covers of several magazines, including ''New Yorks spring fashion issue and the UK magazine '' Dazed & Confused''. In April of that year, she was named " The Most Beautiful Woman" by ''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
''. and was named the new face of
Lancôme Lancôme () is a French luxury perfumes and cosmetics house that distributes products internationally. Lancôme is part of the L'Oréal Luxury Products division, which is its parent company and offers luxury skin care, fragrances, and makeup ...
, making her the first black woman to appear on the brand. Later that November, she was named " Woman of the Year" by '' Glamour''. Nyong'o was on the July 2014 cover of ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', making her the second African woman and ninth black woman to cover the magazine. That same month she also appeared on the cover of July's issue of '' Elle'' (France). She appeared on the October 2015 issue of ''Vogue'', making it her second cover in a row. That month, Congressman Charles Rangel and
Voza Rivers Voza Rivers is an American producer and co-producer of theater, film, music, and live events, born in Harlem, New York. River's work as a theater producer, music executive, event producer, and documentary filmmaker has been presented in the Uni ...
, the head of the
New Heritage Theatre Group New Heritage Theatre Group (NHTG) is the oldest Black nonprofit theater company in New York City, established in 1964. Through its multiple divisions: IMPACT Repertory Theatre, The Roger Furman Reading Series, and New Heritage Films, New Heritage ...
, announced the day is officially "Lupita Nyong'o Day" in
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
, New York. The honour was announced as a surprise during an open discussion between Nyong'o and image activist Michaela Angela Davis at Mist Harlem. Nyong'o was included in
Annie Leibovitz Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American portrait photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of Jo ...
's 2016 ''
Vanity Fair Vanity Fair may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Literature * Vanity Fair, a location in '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1678), by John Bunyan * ''Vanity Fair'' (novel), 1848, by William Makepeace Thackeray * ''Vanity Fair'' (magazines), the ...
''s Hollywood Issue. Nyong'o was honoured with a caricature portrait in May 2016 at Sardi's restaurant in New York City for her debut on Broadway. That July, she was chosen as one of the first celebrities, along with Elle Fanning,
Christy Turlington Burns Christy Nicole Turlington Burns (born January 2, 1969) is an American model and humanitarian. She represented Calvin Klein (fashion house), Calvin Klein's Eternity campaign in 1989 and again in 2014, and also represents Maybelline. Turlington w ...
, and
Natalie Westling Nathan Westling (born June 1, 1996) is an American fashion model, and the star of the Spring 2014 Marc Jacobs & Saint Laurent Paris ad campaigns. His career began in 2014 when he had his hair dyed red for the Marc Jacobs campaign also featuring ...
to star in Tiffany & Co.'s Fall 2016 campaign styled by
Grace Coddington Pamela Rosalind Grace Coddington (born 20 April 1941) is a Welsh former model and former creative director at large of American ''Vogue'' magazine. Coddington is known for the creation of large, complex and dramatic photoshoots. A ''Guardian'' ...
. Nyong'o appeared on ''Vogue''′s October 2016 cover, making it her third issue. That month, she was an honouree at the 2016 Elle Women in Hollywood Awards. In January 2017, she appeared on the cover of ''
Vanity Fair Vanity Fair may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Literature * Vanity Fair, a location in '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1678), by John Bunyan * ''Vanity Fair'' (novel), 1848, by William Makepeace Thackeray * ''Vanity Fair'' (magazines), the ...
''s Hollywood Issue. She later appeared on the cover of UK's '' The Sunday Times Magazine'' for their October 2017 issue. In November 2017, she appeared on the cover of '' Grazia UK '' magazine. She later expressed her disappointment with the cover on social media for altering her hair to fit European standards of what hair should look like. Photographer An Le later apologised in a statement, saying it was "an incredibly monumental mistake". Nyong'o often speaks out about embracing her "African kinky hair" and collaborates with hairdresser Vernon François to show how versatile her hair texture is. In December 2017, Nyong'o landed her fourth ''Vogue'' cover in a row for the January 2018 issue, making her the first black actress to do so. She was also included in Tim Walker's 2018 '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' – themed Pirelli Calendar as character The Dormouse. In June 2018, The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Nyong'o will be among the honourees to receive a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
in the film category. The following month, Nyong'o starred with fellow actress Saoirse Ronan for a
Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, an ...
campaign for their new fragrance entitled "Calvin Klein Women". The campaign features both striking, minimalist portraits of the award-winning actresses alongside women they have personally been inspired by, where Nyong'o named
Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song " Santa ...
and
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...
as her inspirations. In October 2018, Nyong'o became a two-time honouree, alongside her ''Black Panther'' co-stars Danai Gurira and
Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic '' What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award ...
for ''Elle'' magazine's "Women in Hollywood" issue. Nyong'o appeared on the cover of ''Vogue'' España's November 2018 edition. Nyong'o is a 2019
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
honouree. Nyong'o appeared on the cover of ''Vanity Fair''s October 2019 issue. In November, she made her music debut with her single "Sulwe's Song", which she wrote for her book ''Sulwe''. She was also featured on singer
Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' in 2004, which spawned four singles: " Goodies" (featuring Petey Pa ...
s song "Melanin" under the moniker, "Troublemaker" along with La La Anthony,
City Girls City Girls is an American hip hop duo consisting of Yung Miami (Caresha Romeka Brownlee; born February 1994) and JT (Jatavia Shakara Johnson; born December 1992). The duo originate from Miami, Florida, and garnered attention after making an un ...
, and Ester Dean. "Melanin" was nominated for the Her Award at the 2020 BET Awards. Nyong'o was cited as one of 2019's Top 100 most influential Africans by
New African ''New African'' is an English-language monthly news magazine based in London. Published since 1966, it is read by many people across the African continent and the African diaspora. It claims to be the oldest pan-African monthly in English, as w ...
magazine. Nyong'o made her first appearance on British ''Vogue'''s February '20 cover. In March 2020, she appeared on Africa's "50 Most Powerful Women" list by ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
''.


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Crew member


Stage


Bibliography

*


See also

*
List of Mexican Academy Award winners and nominees This is a list of Mexican Academy Award winners and nominees. This list details the performances of Mexican filmmakers, actors, actresses and films that have either been submitted, nominated or have won an Academy Award. List of winners Speci ...


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nyong'o, Lupita 1983 births Living people 21st-century Kenyan actresses 21st-century Mexican actresses Actresses from Mexico City Alumni of St. Mary's School, Nairobi Audiobook narrators Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Documentary film producers Hampshire College alumni Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female winners Kenyan emigrants to the United States Kenyan feminists Kenyan film actresses Kenyan stage actresses Luo people Maisha Film Lab alumni Mexican emigrants to the United States Mexican film actresses Mexican feminists Mexican people of Kenyan descent Mexican people of Luo descent Mexican stage actresses Mexican voice actresses Obie Award recipients Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners People from Nairobi Theatre World Award winners Kenyan women children's writers Mexican women children's writers Women documentary filmmakers Yale School of Drama alumni People with multiple nationality