Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has opened up about the unexpected challenges that followed her breakout role in 12 Years a Slave and the deliberate career choices she has made to protect her identity and the image of Africa.
In a candid conversation with Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo on CNN’s Inside Africa, Nyong’o revealed that despite global praise, Hollywood quickly sought to confine her to a narrow type of role.
“It really did set the paces for everything I’ve done since,” she said.
“But after I won that Academy Award, you’d think, ‘Oh, I’m gonna get lead roles here and there.’ Instead, it was, ‘Oh, Lupita, we’d like you to play another movie where you’re a slave — but this time you’re on a slave ship.’ Those were the kind of offers I was getting in the months after.”
The scrutiny, she says, was intense and often dehumanising, with media speculation and think pieces questioning whether her success would last.
“There were think pieces about: ‘Is this the beginning and end of this dark-skinned Black African woman’s career?’ I had to deafen myself to all those pontificators because, at the end of the day, I’m not a theory; I’m an actual person,” she said.
Nyong’o described the period as “a very tender time” that ultimately strengthened her resolve to take control of her narrative and, more importantly, Africa’s.
She made a conscious decision to reject roles that boxed Africans into stereotypes, even if it meant fewer projects.
“I like to be a joyful warrior for changing the paradigms of what it means to be African,” she said.
“And if that means I work one job less a year to ensure that I’m not perpetuating the stereotypes expected of people from my continent, then let me do that,” she added.
Her mission, she says, is not only about her own career but also about broadening the scope of African storytelling in global entertainment, a goal she continues to prioritise.