[131] 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. The family had left Kenya 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. [79][80] 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. Nyong'o played Phiona's protective mother, Nakku Harriet. [71], 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). [138] Nyong'o is a 2019 Hollywood Walk of Fame honouree. Lupita Nyong’o admits she hasn't gotten over the pain of '12 Years a Slave' Lupita Nyong'o tried to fight back tears but was overcome with emotion while discussing her Oscar-winning role. She vowed to never work with him as a result, hence her turning down a role in Southpaw (2015); Nyong'o also wrote about her commitment to work with female directors and male feminist directors, who have not abused their power. [13][24] Nyong'o's mother is the managing director of the Africa Cancer Foundation and her own communications company. [135] The following month, Nyong'o starred with fellow actress Saoirse Ronan for a Calvin Klein campaign for their new fragrance entitled "Calvin Klein Women". Directed by Paul Pennolino. Close your eyes... feel it... the light... its always been there... it will guide you. Actress (24) The 355 (2022) Khadijah Americanah (TV Series 2021) Ifemelu (10 episodes, 2021) Bookmarks (TV Series 2020) Black Is King (2020) Lupita Nyong'o James and the Giant Peach with Taika and Friends (TV Mini-Series 2020) James (1 episode, 2020) Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker Just let it in. 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 upon her own childhood experiences. Poll: Who’s Your Favorite New Star Wars Character? 94%, Us Season 21 | Episode 30. The Kenyan government burned 105 tonnes of ivory 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 in the wild. The daughter of Kenyan politician Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, Nyong'o was born in Mexico City, where her father was teaching, and was raised in Kenya from the age of one. If it's meant to be, it will be. says: Nyong'o felt bringing attention to such important but overlooked issues is a mandate for her as an artist. Chic coordination! She appeared on the October 2015 issue of American Vogue, making it her second cover in a row. Naomi Campbell wore this long ago to show her loyalty to Kenya, that's why i think she deserved the gig, now show me a picture of Lupita Nyong'o or Elsa Majimbo showing their patriotism. [137] Nyong'o appeared on the cover of Vogue España's November 2018 edition. In 2008, she made her acting debut with the short film East River and subsequently returned to Kenya to star in the television series Shuga (2009–2012). [10][11] She is of Luo descent on both sides of her family, and is the second of six children. By Fehintola Betiku for MailOnline. says: [33] She was also awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the sixth black actress to win the award. The project - focusing on the societal and personal challenges faced by Kenya's albino population - was a coming home for Nyong'o, who moved back to Nairobi around this time. [13] Her father is a former Minister for Medical Services in the Kenyan government. Lupita Nyong'o showed off her rapping skills during Monday's episode of The Tonight Show. Highest Rated: Actress Lupita Nyong'o talks about her upcoming film Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). "[63] Geoff Berkshire of Variety wrote, "Simply radiant in her first live action role since winning an Oscar for 12 Years a Slave [...] [Nyong'o] imbues what could have been a stock mother figure with such inner fire that Harriet feels worthy of a movie all her own. Maz Kanata Lupita Amondi Nyong'o is a Kenyan-Mexican actress and author. By Cassie Carpenter For Dailymail.com. New Faces of Calvin Klein", "These are Elle's 2018 Women in Hollywood", "El futuro es ahora: una visión de moda en Vogue noviembre", "Lupita Nyong'o Raps On Ciara's New Song "Melanin" As Troublemaker", "Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch Lead 2020 BET Awards Nominations", "Lupita Nyong'o On Ambition And Being Seduced By Roles That Have The Potential To Shift A Narrative", Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance – Female, Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress, Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress, Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress, Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female, London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actress of the Year, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress, Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress, Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress, San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress, San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lupita_Nyong%27o&oldid=1000592270, Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners, Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female winners, 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, Short description is different from Wikidata, Internet Off-Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 January 2021, at 20:03. She was also featured on singer Ciara's song "Melanin" under the moniker, "Troublemaker" along with La La Anthony, City Girls, and Ester Dean. [111] Nyong'o was mentioned in the 2015 African song "Nerea" by Kenyan afro-pop band Sauti Sol. [103], Nyong'o made her writing debut with a book titled Sulwe (2019), which is published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. [84] In 2020, she narrated the Hayden Planetarium space show, Worlds Beyond Earth. [130] In November 2017, she appeared on the cover of Grazia UK magazine. She was also mentioned in the parody song "American Apparel Ad Girls" by the drag queens Willam Belli, Courtney Act and Alaska Thunderfuck. [12] 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 of Guadalupe). Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born March 1, 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico, to Kenyan parents, Dorothy Ogada Buyu and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o. [129] She later appeared on the cover of UK's The Sunday Times Magazine for their October 2017 issue. [52] Her performance garnered critical acclaim. [1], Immediately after graduating from Yale, Nyong'o landed her breakthrough role[29] when she was cast for Steve McQueen's historical drama 12 Years a Slave (2013). She has also appeared on the covers of several magazines, including New York's spring fashion issue[116] and the UK magazine Dazed & Confused. [21] She went to the United States for college, graduating from Hampshire College with a degree in film and theatre studies. [62] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com said, "Nyong'o is phenomenal. [12] She grew up primarily in Nairobi, and describes her upbringing as "middle class, suburban". Maz Kanata Nyong'o was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2019. She became the first Kenyan and Mexican actress to win an Academy Award. Maz Kanata The segment opened with host Jimmy Fallon noting that Nyong'o is … [143] In March 2020, she appeared on Africa's "50 Most Powerful Women" list by Forbes. Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born on 1 March 1983 in Mexico City,[4][5][6] to Kenyan parents, Dorothy Ogada Buyu[7][8] and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, a college professor. IMDb's advanced search allows you to run extremely powerful queries over all people and titles in the database. And his father's before him. She was honoured for her work in 2016 by Variety. Her striking fashion sense is always something of a show-stealer on the red-carpet. Her father, a senator, was then a visiting lecturer in political science. [18] Nyong'o credits the performances of Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple with inspiring her to pursue a professional acting career. She was raised in Kenya. Close your eyes... feel it... the light... its always been there... it will guide you. Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira's Americanah series is no longer moving forward at HBO Max, EW has confirmed. [17] She attended Rusinga International School in Kenya and acted in school plays. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Birthday: It tells the story of a family who are confronted by their doppelgängers. [43][44], In 2015, Nyong'o returned to stage with a starring role as an unnamed girl in the play Eclipsed, written by Danai Gurira. Her father, a senator, was then a visiting lecturer in political science. says: [96] She later lent her voice in Conservation International's "Nature is Speaking" campaign as the flower. Once there, she produced a video for MTV and eventually starred in a TV series, "Shuga." [128], In January 2017, she appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue. [77] 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 for Best Actress. All Episodes (3857) Next. By Cassie Carpenter. [140] In November, she made her music debut with her debut single "Sulwe’s Song", which she wrote for her book Sulwe. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! It moves through and surrounds every living thing. [86] Nyong'o joined the radio play presentation of Richard II from The Public Theater and WNYC as The Narrator. [123] 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. Maz Kanata She is the first African actress to win the award, the first Kenyan actress to win an Oscar, and the first Mexican to win the award. Published: 23:21 EST, 17 December 2020 | … That month, she was an honouree at the 2016 Elle Women in Hollywood Awards. Previous. Maz Kanata That same month she also appeared on the cover of July's issue of Elle (France). [98], Nyong'o is involved with the organisation Mother Health International, which aims to provide relief to women and children in Uganda by creating locally engaged birthing centres. Born 3/1/1983, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico Birth Name Lupita Amondi Nyong'o Gender Female Also Known As Lupita Nyongo [95] The historic neighbourhood, one of Richmond's oldest, was the site of major slave-trading before the American Civil War. Soon after her graduation, she had her first feature film role as Patsey in Steve McQueen's biographical period drama 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which she received critical acclaim and won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was raised in Kenya. [60] 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,[61] Phiona Mutesi (played by Madina Nalwanga), who becomes a Woman Candidate Master after her performances at World Chess Olympiads. The Force, it's calling to you. She went on to perform a motion capture role as Maz Kanata in the Star Wars sequel trilogy (2015–2019) and a lead voice role as Raksha in The Jungle Book (2016). In 2018, she joined the all-star cast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster "Black Panther" (2018). TV-14 | 21min | Comedy, News, Talk-Show | Episode aired 2 December 2015. Lupita Nyong'o. [108][109], In 2020, The Africa Center announced Nyong'o as a member of its Board of Trustees. She then pursued a master's degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama. [126] That July, she was chosen as one of the first celebrities, alongside with Elle Fanning, Christy Turlington Burns, and Natalie Westling to star in Tiffany & Co.'s Fall 2016 campaign styled by Grace Coddington. Lupita Nyong'o shows off her laid back style in hues of blue as she steps out for lunch. The Oscar winner took to social media on Tuesday, Sept. 8, … [59] Robbie Collin of The Telegraph wrote in his review that Nyong'o brought a "gentle dignity" to her role. Before she was famous: Lingerie-clad Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o juggled two men in sexually-charged Kenyan soap opera. WildAid announced Nyong'o as their Global Elephant Ambassador. [31][32], Nyong'o 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, including Best Supporting Actress, which she won. [73][74] Emily Yoshida of Vulture 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. [115], Nyong'o was included in Derek Blasberg's 2013 best-dressed list in Harper's Bazaar. That lightsaber was Luke's. She said her views changed when she saw South Sudanese supermodel Alek Wek become successful. During her time in school, she appeared in a number of stage productions. I am no Jedi, but I know the Force. [72] The 2019 South by Southwest marked the premiere of her next release, Jordan Peele's psychological horror film Us. [40] Scott Mendelson of Forbes described Nyong'o's role as "the center of the film's best sequence," and Stephanie Zacharek of Time magazine called her a "delightful minor character". [107] In October, Nyong'o and her mother were honoured at The Harlem School of the Arts' Mask Ball with a "Visionary Lineage Award". I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people. [38][39] Nyong'o said that she had wanted to play a role where her appearance was not relevant. And his father's before him. [94], In 2014, the National Trust for Historic Preservation recruited Nyong'o in an effort to oppose development, including a new minor league baseball stadium, in the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond, Virginia. Oprah At Home With Lupita Nyong'o and Cynthia Erivo 1 Episode (2019) Live With Kelly and Ryan 6 Episodes (2013-2018) Good Morning America 4 Episodes (2014-2018) Jimmy Kimmel Live 3 … Photographer An Le later apologised in a statement, saying it was "an incredibly monumental mistake". If you live long enough, you see the same eyes in different people. I am no Jedi, but I know the Force. She went on to earn her first Emmy Award 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. [105] Sulwe was selected for the 2020 Illustrator Honor at the Coretta Scott King Awards and won for Outstanding Literary Work – Children at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards. Mar 01, 1983, Birthplace: Nyong'o's searing performance was widely praised by both critics and audiences, and resulted in the rising young star winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. says: [141] "Melanin" was nominated for the Her Award at the 2020 BET Awards. Nyong'o's career progressed with her role as Nakia in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Black Panther (2018) and her starring role in Jordan Peele's critically acclaimed horror film Us (2019). Also in 2009, she wrote, produced and directed the documentary In My Genes. Rare is a feature film debut met with much acclaim, but rarer still is a talent such as Lupita Nyong'o. [139], Nyong'o appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's October 2019 issue. After heartfelt statements from Ryan Coogler, Letitia Wright, and more, Lupita Nyong'o is the latest member of the Black Panther family to express her grief. [66] In preparation for the role, Nyong'o learned to speak Xhosa and undertook judo, jujitsu, silat, and Filipino martial arts training. [45] The play takes place during the chaos of the Second Liberian Civil War, 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). The honour was announced as a surprise during an open discussion between Nyong'o and image activist Michaela Angela Davis at Mist Harlem. The force, it's calling to you... just let it in. With Trevor Noah, Ronny Chieng, Lupita Nyong'o. says: [92], Nyong'o resides in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Popular on Variety Lupita Nyong’o on Crafting Her Shocking ‘Us’ Voice (Watch) Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. The acting provided a different challenge from her role as Patsey. ... Based on a 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, the Netflix TV show follows young chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) from the age of nine to 22 during her quest to become the world's greatest chess player If you live long enough, you see the same eyes in different people. [118] and was named the new face of Lancôme, making her the first black woman to appear on the brand. [125] Nyong'o was honoured with a caricature portrait in May 2016 at Sardi's restaurant in New York City for her debut on Broadway. Amy Nicholson of Variety wrote that Nyong'o's "deadpan humor and grace ennoble the slapstick". [13][16] During those seven months, Nyong'o lived in Taxco, Guerrero, and took classes at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México's Learning Centre for Foreigners. [17] In 2014, she was chosen as one of the faces for Miu Miu's spring campaign, with Elizabeth Olsen, Elle Fanning and Bella Heathcote. 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