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“This Me Too [time], this Time’s Up — is about allowing for more equitable representation,” said Lupita Nyong’o at the Actress Roundtable. “I am benefiting from the efforts of a lot of other women who have come before me, other black women who have come before me, who have had it a lot rougher than I have. I’m aware of that.” The actress continued, “It’s a time when directors like Steve McQueen and Jordan Peele are being given chances to make work and so they are able to then, in Jordan’s case, write with someone like me in mind for their next film.”
“This is a time where there’s a concerted effort to consider diversity and inclusion,” Nyong’o added. “What I really want is for it to not be a fad, not be a trend. Right now, it’s really dope and cool and on trend to work with women and underrepresented groups, but I think the moment of maturity in the industry is when it is just the norm.”
Nyong’o discussed her latest work in Us, where she played both the hero and the villain. “I had to play two characters in one movie and I had the time it usually takes me to prepare for one. These two characters are diametrically opposed to each other.”
“Every time I work, I wonder whether I have what it takes to do that particular role,” Nyong’o told the roundtable. “We’re in a business where we’re always starting again. You start with ignorance with every role. The preparation is about moving from that ignorance to hopefully a sense of expertise by the time the film wraps.”
Lupita Nyong’o received one career Oscar for her supporting role in 12 Years a Slave. She also earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role. She stars in the 2019 horror Us, the sophomore feature film from writer, director, producer Jordan Peele. She stars in Us along with Winston Duke and Elisabeth Moss.
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