Oscar winner says Hollywood offered only slave roles after victory

Actress Lupita Nyong’o has revealed that after winning the Oscar for her debut role in 12 Years a Slave in 2014, Hollywood continued offering her similar roles, mostly as a slave.

In an interview for CNN Inside Africa, she said she expected leading roles, but when faced with these offers, she chose to stay true to her values, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

“As soon as I won the Oscar, I thought I would receive new kinds of roles, but they told me, ‘We want you to play a slave again, this time on a ship,’” Lupita said.

She described that period as “fragile,” as there was public debate over whether her career would continue or end right there.

The actress emphasized that she did not want to be part of projects that reinforce stereotypes about Africans.

“If I have to do one less job a year to avoid feeding these expectations, then I will,” she stated.

Her decisions were soon rewarded, as she went on to land roles in Non-Stop, the Star Wars trilogy, The Jungle Book, and Queen of Katwe. One of her most important roles was that of Nakia in Black Panther, where she starred alongside the late actor Chadwick Boseman.

According to E! News, Lupita and her colleague Danai Gurira emphasize that African representation in film requires responsibility, and their goal has been to portray women who are whole, complex, and truly strong.

“Strength doesn’t mean lack of vulnerability,” she said. “It means the ability to face things, to ask for help, and to move forward.”