“Lights, Camera, Action!” are words actress Lupita Nyong’o is used to hearing. From a young age, Lupita was always fond of the arts – her first love was acting and her earliest major production was at fourteen when she starred as Juliet in Phoenix Players’ ‘Romeo and Juliet’ while a student at Rusinga High School. After her secondary studies it was off to Hampshire College in the US where she focused on her pursuits in drama. After four years of intense study and practical lessons Lupita was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Theatre Studies.
Before she was a big screen actress though, Lupita began behind the scenes as a production assistant, working hard and taking mental notes while learning and watching the interactions between the directors and actors on different studio sets.
Few actors are fortunate enough to garner their moment of fame early as getting cast for a role is notoriously difficult in New York, the home of all aspiring actors. Lupita’s luck struck in 2008 when she was cast in Marc Grey’s short film ‘East River’ playing the role of a photographer in New York city. With that exhilarating experience under her belt, she returned home to write, direct and produce her first documentary “In my Genes” which provided a first-person in depth perspective on albinism. This was followed by her role in Shuga – an M-Net production around HIV and AIDS.
Hungry to better her craft, Lupita enrolled at the Yale School of Drama for a Master’s degree in Acting where she was awarded the Herschel Williams Prize for “acting students with outstanding ability” in 2012. After graduation all her years of practice paid off when she gained a part in Steve McQueen’s historical drama “12 Years a Slave”. Her role earned her global recognition when she was nominated for and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. In 2014 Lupita became the first Kenyan to win an Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Following this and other prestigious awards, Lupita has featured on Broadway and has worked alongside some of Hollywood’s most established actors and directors – she certainly made her dream come true. Lupita continues to showcase her Kenyan roots and was featured in Vogue’s 2016 October edition which included a location shoot in her rural home where her grandmother got a starring role in the world’s top fashion mag! Lupita has spoken openly of her own struggles with self-esteem in a predominantly white industry. Inspiring young black girls to remain hopeful in themselves and embrace their skin is a cause she is well known for.
We admire Lupita Nyong’o for living her black girl magic and showing us all that our dreams are valid!