Career Timeline of Lupita Nyong'o: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Lupita Nyong'o built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Lupita Nyong'o is a highly acclaimed actress, recognized with an Actor Award, an Academy Award, and a Daytime Emmy Award. She has also garnered nominations for prestigious awards such as British Academy Film Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award, highlighting her versatility and success across film, television, and theatre.
2005: Production Crew for The Constant Gardener
In 2005, Lupita Nyong'o worked as part of the production crew for Fernando Meirelles's film 'The Constant Gardener', gaining early experience in the film industry.
2006: Production Crew for The Namesake
In 2006, Lupita Nyong'o worked as part of the production crew for Mira Nair's film 'The Namesake', further developing her skills behind the camera.
2007: Production Crew for Where God Left His Shoes
In 2007, Lupita Nyong'o was part of the production crew for Salvatore Stabile's film 'Where God Left His Shoes', continuing to build her experience in filmmaking.
2008: Acting Debut in East River and Shuga
In 2008, Lupita Nyong'o made her acting debut in the short film 'East River'. Later that year, she returned to Kenya to star in the television series 'Shuga'.
2008: Starred in short film East River and Shuga
In 2008, Lupita Nyong'o starred in the short film 'East River' and appeared in the Kenyan television series 'Shuga', marking her entry into acting.
2009: Starring in Shuga
In 2009, Lupita Nyong'o starred in the television series 'Shuga', demonstrating her commitment to acting and HIV/AIDS awareness.
2009: Understudied the Play Eclipsed
In 2009, Lupita Nyong'o understudied the play 'Eclipsed' at Yale, a role she would later perform on Broadway, marking an important early experience in her career.
2009: Directed In My Genes and Music Video
In 2009, Lupita Nyong'o wrote, directed, and produced the documentary 'In My Genes' and directed the music video 'The Little Things You Do', showcasing her skills in directing and production.
2012: Continued role in Shuga
In 2012, Lupita Nyong'o continued her role in the television series 'Shuga', about HIV/AIDS awareness.
2013: Breakthrough Role in 12 Years a Slave
In 2013, Lupita Nyong'o had her first feature film role as Patsey in Steve McQueen's '12 Years a Slave', receiving critical acclaim and winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
2013: Starred in 12 Years a Slave
In 2013, Lupita Nyong'o starred in '12 Years a Slave', and her performance earned her widespread critical acclaim and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
October 2014: Opposition to Development in Shockoe Bottom
In October 2014, Lupita Nyong'o joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation to oppose development in the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond, Virginia, a former site of major slave-trading. She sent a letter to Richmond's Mayor, Dwight C. Jones, and lent her voice to Conservation International's Nature Is Speaking campaign as the flower.
2015: Broadway Debut in Eclipsed and Star Wars Role
In 2015, Lupita Nyong'o made her Broadway debut in the play 'Eclipsed' and performed motion capture for Maz Kanata in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'.
2015: Role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
In 2015, Lupita Nyong'o played Maz Kanata in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' using motion capture technology and also starred in the play 'Eclipsed', demonstrating her versatility.
April 2016: Anti-Poaching Campaign with Wildaid
In April 2016, Lupita Nyong'o launched an anti-poaching campaign with Wildaid, in advance of the Kenya Wildlife Service ivory burn on April 30, to demonstrate a zero-tolerance approach to poaching.
April 2016: Honored for Work with Mother Health International
In April 2016, Variety honored Lupita Nyong'o for her involvement with Mother Health International, which aims to provide relief to women and children in Uganda by creating locally engaged birthing centres.
May 2016: Caricature Portrait at Sardi's Restaurant
In May 2016, Lupita Nyong'o was honored with a caricature portrait at Sardi's restaurant in New York City for her debut on Broadway.
2016: Co-Starred in The Jungle Book and Queen of Katwe
In 2016, Lupita Nyong'o co-starred in 'The Jungle Book' as the voice of Raksha and in 'Queen of Katwe' as Nakku Harriet, showcasing her versatility in live-action and voice roles.
2016: Voice Role in The Jungle Book
In 2016, Lupita Nyong'o voiced Raksha in 'The Jungle Book', adding to her diverse roles in film.
2016: Broadway Premiere of Eclipsed
In 2016, the play 'Eclipsed,' starring Lupita Nyong'o, premiered on Broadway, being the first play to premiere with an all-black and female creative cast and crew. Nyong'o's performance was highly acclaimed.
October 2017: Op-Ed in The New York Times
In October 2017, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal and the MeToo movement, Lupita Nyong'o wrote an op-ed for The New York Times divulging that Weinstein had sexually harassed her in 2011.
April 2018: Time's Up Event at Tribeca Film Festival
In April 2018, Lupita Nyong'o joined Julianne Moore and other actresses in participating in a Time's Up event at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.
June 2018: Hollywood Walk of Fame Honoree
In June 2018, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced that Lupita Nyong'o would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
October 2018: Elle's Women in Hollywood Honoree
In October 2018, Lupita Nyong'o was honored alongside her Black Panther co-stars for Elle magazine's "Women in Hollywood" issue.
November 2018: Vogue España Cover Appearance
In November 2018, Lupita Nyong'o appeared on the cover of Vogue España's edition.
2018: Role as Nakia in Black Panther
In 2018, Lupita Nyong'o played Nakia in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film 'Black Panther', marking a significant role in a superhero film.
September 2019: Ambassador for Michael Kors' Watch Hunger Stop Campaign
In September 2019, Lupita Nyong'o became an ambassador for Michael Kors' "Watch Hunger Stop" campaign.
October 2019: Vanity Fair Cover Appearance
In October 2019, Lupita Nyong'o appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's issue.
2019: Roles in Star Wars sequel trilogy and Us
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o continued her motion capture role in the 'Star Wars' sequel trilogy and starred in the horror film 'Us'.
2019: Writing Debut with Sulwe
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o made her writing debut with 'Sulwe', a children's book about a young Kenyan girl, drawing on her own childhood experiences.
2019: Serengeti Narration
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o reprised her narration role in Serengeti, where she earned her second Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2021.
2019: Roles in 'Little Monsters', 'Us' and 'Serengeti'
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o starred in 'Little Monsters' as a kindergarten teacher in a zombie apocalypse, and in Jordan Peele's 'Us' as both the main character and her doppelganger. She also narrated the Discovery Channel documentary series 'Serengeti', advocating for African women in nature documentaries and using her Kenyan accent, earning an Emmy nomination. She was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Character Voice-Over Performance.
2019: Author of Sulwe
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o wrote a children's book named 'Sulwe', which became a number-one New York Times Best-Seller, showcasing her literary talent.
2019: Hollywood Walk of Fame Honoree
Lupita Nyong'o was recognized as a 2019 Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree.
February 2020: British Vogue Cover Appearance
In February 2020, Lupita Nyong'o made her first appearance on the cover of British Vogue.
March 2020: Forbes' Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women List
In March 2020, Lupita Nyong'o appeared on Africa's "50 Most Powerful Women" list by Forbes.
July 2020: Featured in 'Black Is King'
In July 2020, Lupita Nyong'o was featured in Beyoncé's musical film 'Black Is King', which premiered on Disney+.
2020: BET Awards Nomination
In 2020, "Melanin", the song where Lupita Nyong'o was featured on singer Ciara's song under the moniker "Troublemaker" along with La La Anthony, City Girls, and Ester Dean, was nominated for the Her Award at the BET Awards.
2020: Board of Trustees Member at The Africa Center
In 2020, Lupita Nyong'o was announced as a member of the board of trustees for The Africa Center.
2021: Involvement in Super Sema, Romeo y Julieta, and Who Are You, Charlie Brown?
In 2021, Lupita Nyong'o partnered with Kukua for YouTube Originals' STEM-themed 'Super Sema', becoming an executive producer and voice actress. She also starred in Saheem Ali's radio play adaptation of 'Romeo & Juliet', titled 'Romeo y Julieta', and narrated Apple TV+'s documentary, 'Who Are You, Charlie Brown?'.
November 2022: Release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
In November 2022, Lupita Nyong'o reprised the role of Nakia in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever', the sequel to the original Black Panther film.
2022: Dropout of The Woman King
Around the time of filming the documentary Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong'o, Lupita Nyong'o chose to dropout of The Woman King (2022), in which she had previously been cast to co-star in.
2022: Role in Black Panther sequel
In 2022, Lupita Nyong'o reprised her role as Nakia in the sequel to 'Black Panther', continuing her presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2024: Lead role in A Quiet Place: Day One, voice role in The Wild Robot, and hosting Mind Your Own podcast
In 2024, Lupita Nyong'o played the lead role in the horror prequel film 'A Quiet Place: Day One'. She also voiced the lead role of an abandoned robot named Roz in the animated film 'The Wild Robot'. Also in 2024, Nyong'o 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. That same year, she became the first black and first African jury president of the Berlinale.
2024: Starring Roles in A Quiet Place: Day One and The Wild Robot
In 2024, Lupita Nyong'o starred in the horror film 'A Quiet Place: Day One' and voiced the lead role in the animated film 'The Wild Robot', showcasing her versatility in different genres.
2024: Cast in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
In 2024, Lupita Nyong'o was cast in Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic film 'The Odyssey', set for release in 2026.
2025: Reflection on Career after 12 Years a Slave
In 2025, Lupita Nyong'o reflected on how '12 Years a Slave' shaped her career and her commitment to changing stereotypes about African representation in film.
2026: Release of The Odyssey
The movie The Odyssey, in which Lupita Nyong'o was cast in 2024, is set for release in 2026.
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