History of Lupita Nyong'o in Timeline
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.
1967: Original Jungle Book
In 1967, was the animated original release of Jungle Book. In 2016 Nyong'o had a role in the adaptation.
1980: Family Left Kenya
In 1980, Lupita Nyong'o's family left Kenya due to political repression and unrest. Her uncle disappeared after being thrown off a ferry.
March 1983: Born in Mexico City
In March 1983, Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born in Mexico City to Kenyan parents.
March 1983: Lupita Nyong'o Born
On March 1983, Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born. She would grow up to become an actress and receive many accolades, including an Academy Award and a Daytime Emmy Award.
2001: Received IB Diploma
In 2001, Lupita Nyong'o received an IB Diploma from St. Mary's School in Nairobi.
2005: Production Crew for The Constant Gardener
In 2005, Lupita Nyong'o worked as part of the production crew for the film 'The Constant Gardener'.
2006: Production Crew for The Namesake
In 2006, Lupita Nyong'o worked as part of the production crew for the film 'The Namesake'.
2007: Production Crew for Where God Left His Shoes
In 2007, Lupita Nyong'o worked as part of the production crew for the film 'Where God Left His Shoes'.
2008: Acting Debut in East River
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'.
2008: Starred in East River and Shuga
In 2008, Lupita Nyong'o starred in the short film 'East River' and the Kenyan television series 'Shuga'.
2009: Starred in Shuga
In 2009, Lupita Nyong'o starred in the television series 'Shuga'. She also wrote, directed, and produced the documentary 'In My Genes'.
2009: Understudied Eclipsed
In 2009, Lupita Nyong'o understudied the play 'Eclipsed' at Yale.
2009: Directed Documentary In My Genes
In 2009, Lupita Nyong'o wrote, directed, and produced the documentary 'In My Genes'.
2011: Won Herschel Williams Prize
During the 2011-12 academic year, Lupita Nyong'o won the Herschel Williams Prize for acting students with outstanding ability while at Yale School of Drama.
2011: Sexual Harassment by Harvey Weinstein
In 2011, Lupita Nyong'o was sexually harassed on two separate occasions by Harvey Weinstein while she was a student at Yale.
2012: Continued in Shuga
In 2012, Lupita Nyong'o continued her role in the television series 'Shuga'.
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.
2013: Cast in 12 Years a Slave
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.
2013: Best-Dressed List
In 2013, Lupita Nyong'o was included in Derek Blasberg's best-dressed list in Harper's Bazaar.
2013: Father Elected to Kenyan Senate
In 2013, Lupita Nyong'o's father was elected to represent Kisumu County in the Kenyan Senate.
February 2014: Essence Black Women in Hollywood Speech
On 27 February 2014, at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon in Beverly Hills, Lupita Nyong'o delivered a speech on the beauty of Black women and opened up about her teenage insecurities.
July 2014: Vogue and Elle Cover Appearance
In July 2014, Lupita Nyong'o appeared on the cover of Vogue, becoming the second African woman and ninth black woman to do so. That same month she also appeared on the cover of July's issue of Elle (France).
October 2014: Opposition to Development in Shockoe Bottom
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.
2014: Supporting Role in Non-Stop
In 2014, Lupita Nyong'o had a supporting role in the action-thriller 'Non-Stop'.
2014: Miu Miu Campaign and "Most Beautiful Woman"
In 2014, Lupita Nyong'o was chosen as one of the faces for Miu Miu's spring campaign and was named "The Most Beautiful Woman" by People magazine.
2014: Mentioned in Lecrae's Song
In 2014, Lupita Nyong'o was mentioned in Christian rapper Lecrae's song "Nuthin'" from his album Anomaly.
2014: Named Most Beautiful Woman
In 2014, Lupita Nyong'o was named the most beautiful woman by People.
June 2015: Advocacy for Elephants and Women's Issues in Kenya
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.
October 2015: "Lupita Nyong'o Day" in Harlem
In October 2015, Congressman Charles Rangel and Voza Rivers announced that the day is officially "Lupita Nyong'o Day" in Harlem, New York.
2015: Co-starred in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
In 2015, Lupita Nyong'o co-starred in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' as Maz Kanata.
2015: Broadway Debut in Eclipsed
In 2015, Lupita Nyong'o made her Broadway debut in the play 'Eclipsed', receiving a Tony Award nomination.
2015: Turning down Southpaw
In 2015, Lupita Nyong'o turned down an offer to star in Southpaw, a Weinstein-distributed film.
2015: Mentioned in Sauti Sol's Song
In 2015, Lupita Nyong'o was mentioned in the song "Nerea" by Kenyan afro-pop band Sauti Sol.
April 2016: Anti-Poaching Campaign Launch
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.
May 2016: Sardi's Caricature Portrait
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.
October 2016: Vogue Cover and Elle Women in Hollywood Awards
In October 2016, Lupita Nyong'o appeared on Vogue′s cover for the third time and was an honouree at the 2016 Elle Women in Hollywood Awards.
2016: Co-starred in The Jungle Book and Queen of Katwe
In 2016, Lupita Nyong'o co-starred in 'The Jungle Book', voicing Raksha, and in 'Queen of Katwe', playing Nakku Harriet.
2016: Voice Role in The Jungle Book
In 2016, Lupita Nyong'o voiced Raksha in 'The Jungle Book'.
2016: Involvement with Mother Health International
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.
2016: Nomination for Best Virtual Performance
In 2016, Lupita Nyong'o was nominated for Best Virtual Performance at the MTV Movie Awards for her role in Star Wars.
January 2017: Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue Cover
In January 2017, Lupita Nyong'o appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue.
October 2017: The Sunday Times Magazine Cover
In October 2017, Lupita Nyong'o appeared on the cover of UK's The Sunday Times Magazine.
October 2017: Op-Ed on Harvey Weinstein
In October 2017, Lupita Nyong'o wrote an op-ed for The New York Times divulging that Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed her in 2011. She expressed her commitment to work with female directors and male feminist directors.
November 2017: Grazia UK Cover Controversy
In November 2017, Lupita Nyong'o appeared on the cover of Grazia UK magazine. She later expressed her disappointment with the cover on social media for altering her hair.
December 2017: Fourth Vogue Cover
In December 2017, Lupita Nyong'o landed her fourth Vogue cover in a row for the January 2018 issue, making her the first black actress to do so.
2017: Father Became Governor
By 2017, Lupita Nyong'o's father became the Governor of Kisumu County.
2017: Maz Kanata in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
In 2017, Lupita Nyong'o reprised her role as Maz Kanata in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'.
January 2018: Fourth Vogue Cover
In January 2018, Lupita Nyong'o landed her fourth Vogue cover in a row, making her the first black actress to do so.
June 2018: Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
In June 2018, The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Lupita Nyong'o will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
October 2018: Elle Women in Hollywood Honoree
In October 2018, Lupita Nyong'o became a two-time honouree for Elle magazine's "Women in Hollywood" issue.
November 2018: Vogue España Cover
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'.
2018: Pulitzer Prize for Public Service
In 2018, Nyong'o's op-ed was part of a collection of stories by The New York Times and The New Yorker that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
September 2019: Michael Kors Ambassador
In September 2019, Lupita Nyong'o became an ambassador for Michael Kors' "Watch Hunger Stop" campaign.
October 2019: Vanity Fair Cover
In October 2019, Lupita Nyong'o appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair.
2019: Role as Maz Kanata
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o continued to play Maz Kanata in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
2019: Publication of Sulwe
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.
2019: Serengeti Documentary Series
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.
2019: Hollywood Walk of Fame Honouree
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o officially became a Hollywood Walk of Fame honouree.
2019: Serengeti Narration
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o reprised her narration role in Serengeti.
2019: Starred in Little Monsters and Us
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'.
2019: Mentioned in Beyoncé's Brown Skin Girl
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o was mentioned by singer Beyoncé in the single "Brown Skin Girl" from The Lion King: The Gift.
2019: Authored Children's Book Sulwe
In 2019, Lupita Nyong'o wrote the children's book 'Sulwe', which became a New York Times Best-Seller.
February 2020: British Vogue Cover
In February 2020, Lupita Nyong'o made her first appearance on British Vogue's cover.
March 2020: Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women
In March 2020, Lupita Nyong'o appeared on Africa's "50 Most Powerful Women" list by Forbes.
July 2020: Beyoncé's Black Is King Premiere
In July 2020, Lupita Nyong'o was featured in Beyoncé's musical film Black Is King, which premiered on Disney+.
2020: The Africa Center Board of Trustees
In 2020, Lupita Nyong'o was announced as a member of the board of trustees for The Africa Center.
2020: Named One of Africa's Most Powerful Women
In 2020, Lupita Nyong'o was named one of Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women by Forbes.
2020: Emmy Award for Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices
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.
2020: Awards for Sulwe
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.
2020: "Melanin" Nomination
In 2020, the song "Melanin" on which Lupita Nyong'o was featured was nominated for the Her Award at the BET Awards.
2021: Super Sema and Other Projects
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.
November 2022: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release
In November 2022, Lupita Nyong'o reprised her role as Nakia in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to the original Black Panther film.
2022: Nakia in Black Panther sequel
In 2022, Lupita Nyong'o reprised her role as Nakia in the sequel to 'Black Panther'.
June 2023: Move to Los Angeles
In June 2023, Lupita Nyong'o moved to Los Angeles from Brooklyn after the COVID-19 pandemic.
2023: Solidarity with Gaza
During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Lupita Nyong'o expressed solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip, signing a letter urging for a ceasefire.
July 2024: Father as Governor of Kisumu County
As of July 2024, Lupita Nyong'o's father serves as the Governor of Kisumu County, Kenya.
August 2024: Becomes U.S. Citizen
In August 2024, Lupita Nyong'o announced she had become a U.S. citizen and planned to vote for Kamala Harris in her first U.S. presidential election.
2024: A Quiet Place: Day One and Other Projects
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.
2024: Cast in The Odyssey
In 2024, Lupita Nyong'o was cast in Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic film The Odyssey.
2024: Starring Roles in Us
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'.
2024: A Quiet Place: Day One
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.
2026: The Odyssey Release
The release of The Odyssey, in which Lupita Nyong'o was cast, is set for 2026.
