How Lupita Nyong'o built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Lupita Nyong'o is a highly acclaimed actress recognized for her exceptional talent and versatility. She has earned prestigious awards, including an Academy Award and a Daytime Emmy Award. She also has received nominations for a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award, highlighting her impactful presence across film and theater.
In 2005, Lupita Nyong'o worked as part of the production crew for the film 'The Constant Gardener'.
In 2006, Lupita Nyong'o worked as part of the production crew for the film 'The Namesake'.
In 2007, Lupita Nyong'o worked as part of the production crew for the film 'Where God Left His Shoes'.
In 2008, Lupita Nyong'o made her acting debut in the short film 'East River'. She also returned to Kenya to appear in the television series 'Shuga'.
In 2008, Lupita Nyong'o starred in the short film 'East River' and the Kenyan television series 'Shuga'.
In 2009, Lupita Nyong'o starred in the television series 'Shuga'. She also wrote, directed, and produced the documentary 'In My Genes'.
In 2009, Lupita Nyong'o understudied the play 'Eclipsed' at Yale.
In 2009, Lupita Nyong'o wrote, directed, and produced the documentary 'In My Genes'.
In 2012, Lupita Nyong'o continued her role in the television series 'Shuga'.
In 2013, Lupita Nyong'o had her first feature film role as Patsey in Steve McQueen's '12 Years a Slave', receiving critical acclaim.
In 2013, Lupita Nyong'o landed her breakthrough role in '12 Years a Slave', receiving widespread critical acclaim and winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In October 2014, Lupita Nyong'o sent a letter to Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones, asking him to withdraw support for the development proposal in the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond, Virginia.
In 2014, Lupita Nyong'o had a supporting role in the action-thriller 'Non-Stop'.
In June 2015, Lupita Nyong'o returned to Kenya and announced that she would advocate globally for elephants with WildAid and promote women's issues, acting, and the arts in Kenya. She was also announced as WildAid's Global Elephant Ambassador.
In 2015, Lupita Nyong'o co-starred in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' as Maz Kanata.
In 2015, Lupita Nyong'o made her Broadway debut in the play 'Eclipsed', receiving a Tony Award nomination.
In 2015, Lupita Nyong'o turned down an offer to star in Southpaw, a Weinstein-distributed film.
In April 2016, Lupita Nyong'o launched an anti-poaching "hearts-and-minds" campaign with Wildaid in advance of the Kenya Wildlife Service ivory burn.
In May 2016, Lupita Nyong'o was honoured with a caricature portrait at Sardi's restaurant in New York City for her debut on Broadway.
In 2016, Lupita Nyong'o co-starred in 'The Jungle Book', voicing Raksha, and in 'Queen of Katwe', playing Nakku Harriet.
In 2016, Lupita 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. Variety honoured her for her work.
In 2017, Lupita Nyong'o reprised her role as Maz Kanata in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'.
In 2018, Lupita Nyong'o played Nakia in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film 'Black Panther'.
In September 2019, Lupita Nyong'o became an ambassador for Michael Kors' "Watch Hunger Stop" campaign.
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o continued to play Maz Kanata in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o made her writing debut with a children's book titled Sulwe, which became a number-one New York Times Best-Seller.
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o narrated the Discovery Channel documentary series Serengeti, focusing on wildlife in the Serengeti ecosystem. She received an Emmy nomination for her narration and emphasized the importance of African women narrating such documentaries, using her native Kenyan accent.
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o reprised her narration role in Serengeti.
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o starred in 'Little Monsters' and Jordan Peele's 'Us', receiving a Screen Actors Guild nomination for her role in 'Us'.
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o wrote the children's book 'Sulwe', which became a New York Times Best-Seller.
In 2020, Lupita Nyong'o was announced as a member of the board of trustees for The Africa Center.
In 2020, Lupita Nyong'o won the Outstanding Limited Performance in a Children's Program at the 48th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for her involvement in Netflix's television series, Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices.
In 2020, Sulwe was selected for the Illustrator Honor at the Coretta Scott King Awards and won for Outstanding Literary Work – Children at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards.
In 2020, the song "Melanin" on which Lupita Nyong'o was featured was nominated for the Her Award at the BET Awards.
In 2021, Lupita Nyong'o partnered with Kukua for YouTube Originals' Super Sema, an animated series where she served as an executive producer and voice actress. She also starred in Romeo y Julieta, a bilingual radio play, and narrated Who Are You, Charlie Brown?. Additionally, she reprised her role in Serengeti and received her second Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2021.
In November 2022, Lupita Nyong'o reprised her role as Nakia in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to the original Black Panther film.
In 2022, Lupita Nyong'o reprised her role as Nakia in the sequel to 'Black Panther'.
In 2024, Lupita Nyong'o played the lead role in the horror prequel film A Quiet Place: Day One. She also took on a voice role in the animated film The Wild Robot and began hosting the podcast Mind Your Own, in which she tells stories from the African diaspora and talks about experiences relating to her own life and Kenyan heritage.
In 2024, Lupita Nyong'o was cast in Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic film The Odyssey.
In 2024, Lupita Nyong'o will have starring roles in the horror films 'Us' and 'A Quiet Place: Day One' and a voice role in the animated film 'The Wild Robot'.
In 2024, Nyong'o underwent exposure therapy to overcome her fear of cats for the film "A Quiet Place: Day One", and later adopted a cat named Yoyo.
The release of The Odyssey, in which Lupita Nyong'o was cast, is set for 2026.