Lupita Nyongo is an Academy Award-winning actress, producer, and director who has made a name for herself in Hollywood. She is best known for her roles in films such as 12 Years a Slave, Black Panther, and the horror film Us.
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Lupita Nyongo [ 📸 credits: The Guardian] |
Over time, Nyong'o has become an inspiring figure for many young women of color, urging them to pursue their dreams and never to give up.
Lupita (as famously known by her fans) has Kenyan-Mexican citizenship. She was born on 1st March 1983 in Mexico City. Kenyan politician Peter Anyang' Nyong'o was blessed with this gem when he was lecturing in Mexico. He later raised her in Kenya from the age of three.
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Lupita & her dad at Oscar Awards [ 📸 credits: The Herald] |
Lupita Nyong'o attended college in the United States, earning a bachelor's degree in film and theatre studies from Hampshire College. While still a student, Nyong'o began her career in Hollywood working as a production assistant. In 2008, Nyong'o made her acting debut with the short film East River.
Her star in acting grew even brighter when her senior thesis, the film In My Genes (2009), was featured at the New York African Film Festival that took place in 2010.
She later returned to Africa, to star in the television series Shuga (2009–2012) about youth culture in Lagos, Nigeria. To advance her career, she pursued a master's degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama where she graduated in 2012.
In this article, I will discuss Nyongo’s career accomplishments and her impact on the entertainment industry.
Lupita's Career Accomplishments
Lupita Nyongo has achieved a great deal of success in her career. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 12 Years a Slave, becoming the first Kenyan and Mexican actress to win an Oscar. Her utterly anguished portrayal of Patsey, a young enslaved woman who is repeatedly raped by her master and denigrated by his wife, earned critical acclaim.
She next featured in Non-Stop (2014), an action movie about an air marshal who is trying to protect passengers from blackmailers. In 2015 Nyong’o played Maz Kanata (a thousand-year-old pirate) in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In another movie, Queen of Katwe (2016), Nyong’o was cast as a Ugandan mother who is a source of motivation to her daughter.
She also starred in the critically acclaimed superhero movies Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) where she reprised the role. The former was the first Marvel movie to feature a predominantly black cast.
Nyong'o has also produced several other films, including The Jungle Book and Little Monsters. In addition, she has directed two short films, including her debut film Sulwe, which was based on her children’s book of the same name.
Lupita's impact on the entertainment industry
- As previously stated, she has become a role model for many young women of color, inspiring them to pursue their dreams and never give up.
- Nyong'o has used her platform to speak out about issues such as racism and sexism in Hollywood. She has been vocal about the lack of diversity in the industry and has advocated for more representation of people of color in film and television.
- Nyong'o has also used her influence to promote causes such as better education and healthcare access for women and girls in developing countries.
In conclusion, Lupita Nyong'o is an inspiring figure who has achieved great success in her career and has had a positive impact on the entertainment industry. She has become a role model for many young women and her work is a testament to the power of hard work and determination.
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