Lupita Amondi Nyong'o, born on March 1, 1983, in Mexico City to Kenyan parents Dorothy Ogada Buyu and Anyang' Nyong'o, has captured the hearts of Kenyans and the world. The daughter of Kenyan politician Anyang' Nyong'o, she was raised in Kenya from the age of three.
Her journey from a young girl in Kenya to a celebrated Hollywood actress is nothing short of remarkable. Let's delve into the story of this extraordinary woman.
Early Life and Education
When Nyong'o was 16, her parents sent her to Mexico for seven months to learn Spanish. During those seven months, she lived in Taxco, 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 her high school diploma in 2001. She attended college in the United States, earning a bachelor's degree in film and theatre studies from Hampshire College.
Nyong'o enrolled in a master's degree program in acting at the Yale School of Drama. At Yale, she appeared in many stage productions, including Gertrude Stein's Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights, Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, and William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and The Winter's Tale.
Breakthrough Role in "12 Years a Slave"
Lupita Nyong'o scene from 12 Years A Slave who dedicated her Best Supporting Actress on Oscar (2013)
Immediately after graduating from Yale, Nyong'o landed her breakthrough role when she was cast in Steve McQueen's historical drama 12 Years a Slave (2013). The film, which met with widespread critical acclaim, is based on the life of Solomon Northup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free-born African-American man of upstate New York who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in Washington, DC, in 1841.
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Nyong'o's portrayal of Patsey, a young slave, earned her numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has made history as the first Kenyan and pure Black African to win the coveted Oscars and garner critical acclaim and numerous awards from one film. Hollywood isn’t only wowed by her extraordinary performance in the film but everything she represents inside and out.
In the film she plays poor Patsey, a strong-willed yet broken pretty little thing born a slave. Her skin has got that very dark shade that clearly represents the black race, a very authentic look in the casting for a film on slavery.
Hollywood Acclaim and Recognition
Because of that, she’s now brushing shoulders and taking selfies with the biggest of American celebrities; from Kanye West, Oprah Winfrey to Leonardo Di Caprio. She’s a darling of this season’s red carpet fashion and film critics. Few women are confident enough to cut their hair short and Lupita’s natural do flaunts her effortlessness and confidence. It’s a declaration that Black Girls Rock. She’s a role model.
In fact, the hard-to-impress Joan Rivers, host of E!’s adored Fashion Police called red-hot Lupita in a Ralph Lauren gown “the first African super woman”, right before declaring her Best Dressed from Golden Globes. Her surreal beauty and bold fashion sense intrigues Hollywood.
Subsequent Roles and Career
Nyong'o co-starred in Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book (2016), a live-action/CGI adaptation of its 1967 animated original, voicing Raksha, a mother wolf who adopts Mowgli (played by Neel Sethi). 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 (played by Madina Nalwanga), who becomes a Woman Candidate Master after her performances at World Chess Olympiads. 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). Also in 2019, Nyong'o narrated the Discovery Channel documentary series Serengeti, about wildlife in the Serengeti ecosystem.
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Nyong'o partnered with Nairobi-based media and tech startup Kukua in support of YouTube Originals' STEM-themed, Super Sema (2021), which became Africa's first kid superhero animated series. Afterwards, she starred alongside Juan Castano in Saheem Ali's bilingual radio play adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, titled Romeo y Julieta (2021). She also provided narration for Apple TV+'s documentary, Who Are You, Charlie Brown? (2021), based on the origins of Peanuts and its creator Charles M. Schulz.
Advocacy and Activism
Aside from acting, Nyong'o supports historic preservation. She is vocal about preventing sexual harassment, working for women's and animal rights. In February 2014, at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon in Beverly Hills, she delivered a speech on the beauty of Black women, and told the audience about the insecurities she had as a teenager.
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. As of 2016, Nyong'o was involved with the organisation Mother Health International, which aims to provide relief to women and children in Uganda by creating locally engaged birthing centres. In September 2019, Nyong'o became an ambassador for Michael Kors' "Watch Hunger Stop" campaign.
Awards and Recognition
Lupita Nyong'o's Awards and Achievements:
| Year | Award | Category | Film/Series | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Academy Award | Best Supporting Actress | 12 Years a Slave | Won |
| 2015-2019 | N/A | Motion capture role | Star Wars sequel trilogy | N/A |
| 2016 | N/A | Voice role | The Jungle Book | N/A |
| 2015 | Tony Award | Best Actress in a Play | Eclipsed | Nominated |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Narrator | Serengeti | Nominated |
Nyong'o was mentioned in Christian rapper Lecrae's song "Nuthin'" from his 2014 album Anomaly and was referenced by Jay-Z in his verse from Jay Electronica's song "We Made It". In 2014, she was chosen as one of the faces for Miu Miu's spring campaign, with Elizabeth Olsen, Elle Fanning and Bella Heathcote. Nyong'o was on the July 2014 cover of Vogue, 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.
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That month, Congressman Charles Rangel and Voza Rivers, the head of the New Heritage Theatre Group, announced the day is officially "Lupita Nyong'o Day" in Harlem, New York. Nyong'o was included in Annie Leibovitz's 2016 Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue. In June 2018, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced that Nyong'o would be among the honourees to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the film category.
Writing Debut
Nyong'o made her writing debut with a book titled Sulwe (2019), published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. In November, she made her music debut with her single "Sulwe's Song", which she wrote for her book Sulwe.
A Role Model and Inspiration
Through Lupita, Kenyans now eye Hollywood differently. Because of her, Kenyan actors and actresses like Melvin Alusa, Nick Ndeda, Sharon Mina, Dennis Amunga, Mkamze and Nini Wacera, must believe, now more than any other time that they can make it to Hollywood and reach a world audience. Through Lupita, Hollywood eyes Kenya differently.
We are not just the fastest marathon runners and the home of Africa’s largest wilder beast migration but also a wealth of talented artists, who can produce bonafide film stars. And even if she decides to retire and return home, she has already done many proud. She’s forever our ambassador just by the virtue of being Kenyan. Let’s learn to be inspired by our very own while appreciating them.
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