Lupita Nyong'o facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lupita Nyong'o
Nyong'o in 2024
Born	Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (1983-03-01) 1 March 1983 (age 42) Mexico City, Mexico
Citizenship	Mexico Kenya US (since 2024)
Education	Hampshire College (BA) Yale University (MFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2005–present
Parent(s)	Anyang' Nyong'o (father)
Relatives	Isis Nyong'o (cousin) Tavia Nyong'o (cousin)
Awards	Full list

Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (LOO-pee-TƏ-_-NYAWNG-oh; born on March 1, 1983) is a talented actress. She has won many important awards, including an Academy Award, a Daytime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has also been nominated for other big awards like the British Academy Film Awards, Golden Globe Award, and Tony Award.

Lupita was born in Mexico City while her father, Anyang' Nyong'o, a Kenyan politician, was teaching there. She grew up in Kenya from the age of three. She later moved to the United States for college. There, she earned a degree in film and theater from Hampshire College. She started her career in Hollywood working behind the scenes.

In 2008, Lupita first appeared as an actress in a short film called East River. After that, she returned to Kenya to act in the TV series Shuga (2009–2012). She then went to Yale School of Drama to get a master's degree in acting. Soon after graduating, she got her first major movie role as Patsey in Steve McQueen's film 12 Years a Slave (2013). Her performance was highly praised, and she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Lupita made her Broadway debut in the play Eclipsed (2015), playing a teenage orphan. For this role, she was nominated for a Tony Award. She also played the character Maz Kanata using motion capture in the Star Wars movies (2015–2019). She voiced Raksha in The Jungle Book (2016). Lupita's career continued to grow with her role as Nakia in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films Black Panther (2018) and its sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). She also starred in the horror films Us (2019) and A Quiet Place: Day One (2024), and voiced a robot in the animated film The Wild Robot (2024).

Besides acting, Lupita Nyong'o cares about protecting old buildings and places. She also speaks up for women's rights and animal rights. In 2014, People magazine named her the most beautiful woman. In 2019, Lupita wrote a children's book called Sulwe, which became a number-one best-seller on New York Times. She was also nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for narrating two episodes of the docu-series Serengeti. In 2020, Forbes magazine named her one of Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women.

Lupita's Early Life and Education

Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born on March 1, 1983, in Mexico City. Her parents, Dorothy Ogada Buyu and Anyang' Nyong'o, were from Kenya. Her family had left Kenya for a while in 1980 due to political issues.

Lupita has citizenship in Kenya, Mexico, and the United States. She sees herself as "Kenyan-Mexican." Her family is from the Luo group. She is the second of six children. The Luo people often name children after events of the day. So, her parents gave her the Spanish name Lupita, which means "little Guadalupe." Her father was a professor and later became a politician. As of July 2025, he is the Governor of Kisumu County, Kenya. When Lupita was born, he was a visiting professor in Mexico City.

Lupita's family moved back to Kenya when she was less than a year old. Her father became a professor at the University of Nairobi. She grew up mostly in Nairobi in an artistic family. She describes her childhood as "middle class, suburban." Family gatherings often included performances by the children. They also went to see plays. She attended Rusinga International School in Kenya and acted in school plays.

When she was 14, Lupita acted professionally for the first time. She played Juliet in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. This play was put on by the Phoenix Players in Nairobi. While with the Phoenix Players, she also acted in other plays. She says that watching Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple inspired her to become a professional actress.

When Lupita was 16, her parents sent her to Mexico for seven months to learn Spanish. She lived in Taxco, Guerrero, and took classes. Later, she attended St. Mary's School in Nairobi. She earned an IB Diploma in 2001. She then went to college in the United States. She graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in film and theater studies.

Lupita's mother is a managing director of a cancer foundation and her own communications company. Other family members include Tavia Nyong'o, a professor, and Isis Nyong'o, a media and technology leader.

Lupita's Acting Career

Early Work and Big Break

Lupita started her career working behind the scenes on movies. She was a production assistant for films like The Constant Gardener (2005) and The Namesake (2006). She says that actor Ralph Fiennes inspired her to become an actress. In 2008, Lupita starred in the short film East River. She then returned to Kenya and appeared in the TV series Shuga. This show was about preventing HIV/AIDS. In 2009, she wrote, directed, and produced a documentary called In My Genes. It was about how people with albinism were treated in Kenya. The film won an award at a film festival. Lupita also directed a music video that was nominated for an award.

Lupita then went to the Yale School of Drama to study acting. At Yale, she acted in many plays. She won an award for her acting skills there.

Lupita Nyong'o at the 2013 New York Film Festival

Right after graduating from Yale, Lupita got her big break. She was cast in Steve McQueen's historical drama 12 Years a Slave (2013). This movie was based on the true story of Solomon Northup, a free man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. Lupita played Patsey, a slave who worked on a cotton plantation. Her performance received amazing reviews. Critics said she gave one of the most impressive first performances ever. She was nominated for many awards for 12 Years a Slave. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This made her the second African actress and the first Kenyan actress to win an Oscar. The blue dress she wore to the awards became very famous.

After a small role in the action movie Non-Stop (2014), Lupita co-starred in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). She played Maz Kanata, a wise space pirate. This character was created using motion capture technology. Lupita wanted a role where her looks didn't matter. Critics enjoyed her performance. She was nominated for awards for this role too.

In 2015, Lupita returned to the stage in the play Eclipsed. The play was about women during a war in Liberia. Lupita played a new girl who joins a group of captive wives. The play was very popular. Lupita won an Obie Award for her performance. The play then moved to Broadway in 2016. It was the first Broadway play with an all-black and all-female creative team. Lupita's acting was highly praised. She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

Continuing Success

Lupita Nyong'o at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con

Lupita co-starred in Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book (2016). This was a mix of live-action and computer animation. She voiced Raksha, a mother wolf who adopts Mowgli. Critics said she brought "gentle dignity" to her role. She then co-starred in Queen of Katwe (2016). This movie was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a young Ugandan chess player. Lupita played Phiona's mother, Nakku Harriet. Reviewers said Lupita was "phenomenal" and "simply radiant" in the role.

Lupita played Maz Kanata again in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) and in the animated series Star Wars Forces of Destiny. In 2018, she starred as Nakia, a spy and bodyguard, in the superhero film Black Panther. This movie was part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To prepare, Lupita learned to speak Xhosa and trained in martial arts. Critics praised her for avoiding stereotypes and for her strong performance. Black Panther was a huge success, earning over $1.34 billion worldwide. Lupita was nominated for a Saturn Award for her role.

After Black Panther, Lupita starred in the comedy horror film Little Monsters (2019). She played a kindergarten teacher dealing with a zombie apocalypse. Critics noted her "deadpan humor and grace." In 2019, she also starred in Jordan Peele's psychological horror film Us. She played two roles: Adelaide Wilson and her mysterious doppelgänger, Red. Critics called her dual performance "astounding" and "an achievement." Us earned over $255 million worldwide. Lupita was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and won an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress.

Also in 2019, Lupita narrated the Discovery Channel documentary series Serengeti, about wildlife. She spoke about the importance of African women narrating nature documentaries. She used her native Kenyan accent in the series. She earned her first Emmy Award nomination for this narration. She also hosted a documentary called Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong'o, where she explored the history of the Dahomey Amazons in West Africa. Lupita played Maz Kanata for the third time in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the final Star Wars sequel movie.

Recent Projects

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lupita appeared in a global TV event called Together at Home in April 2020. She also joined a radio play of Richard II. Lupita was featured in Beyoncé's musical film Black Is King, which came out in July 2020.

Lupita partnered with a company in Nairobi to support Super Sema (2021). This is an animated series about a young African superhero girl. Lupita is an executive producer and voice actress in the series. She also starred in a bilingual radio play of Romeo & Juliet called Romeo y Julieta (2021). She narrated the Apple TV+ documentary Who Are You, Charlie Brown? (2021). Lupita won a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on the Netflix series Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices (2020). In 2021, she was nominated for another Emmy for narrating Serengeti.

In 2022, Lupita starred in the spy-thriller The 355. She also voiced a character named Asha in the Netflix animated sitcom Human Resources. Later in 2022, Lupita played Nakia again in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to Black Panther.

In 2024, Lupita played the main role in the horror film A Quiet Place: Day One. She also voiced the main character, a robot named Roz, in the animated film The Wild Robot. Also in 2024, Lupita started hosting a podcast called Mind Your Own. In it, she shares stories from the African diaspora and talks about her own life and Kenyan heritage.

Other Activities and Interests

In February 2014, Lupita gave a speech about the beauty of Black women. She shared how she felt insecure as a teenager. She said her views changed when she saw the successful model Alek Wek.

Lupita supports historic preservation. In 2014, she spoke out against a new development in Shockoe Bottom, Virginia. This historic area was a major slave-trading site. She asked the mayor to stop the development. She also lent her voice to Conservation International's "Nature Is Speaking" campaign.

In June 2015, Lupita returned to Kenya. She announced she would work globally to protect elephants with WildAid. She also promotes women's issues, acting, and the arts in Kenya. WildAid named her their Global Elephant Ambassador.

Since 2016, Lupita has been involved with Mother Health International. This group helps women and children in Uganda by creating local birthing centres. Lupita feels it's her job as an artist to bring attention to such important issues.

In April 2016, Lupita launched a campaign with Wildaid to fight poaching. This was before the Kenyan government burned a large amount of ivory and rhino horn. This act showed their strong stand against poachers.

In September 2019, Lupita became an ambassador for Michael Kors' "Watch Hunger Stop" campaign. In October, she and her mother were honored at The Harlem School of the Arts. In November, WildAid honored her with the "Champion of the Year" award.

In 2020, The Africa Center announced Lupita as a member of its board of trustees.

Writing a Children's Book

Lupita became a writer with her book Sulwe (2019). It was published by Simon & Schuster. Sulwe means "star" in the Luo language. The book tells the story of a five-year-old Kenyan girl who has the darkest skin in her family. Lupita used her own childhood experiences for the story. The book became a number-one New York Times Best-Seller. Sulwe won the 2020 Illustrator Honor and an NAACP Image Award for children's literature.

In the Media

Lupita Nyong'o has been mentioned in songs by artists like Lecrae, Jay-Z, Sauti Sol, Nicki Minaj, Wale, and Beyoncé.

Lupita Nyong'o on the cover of Ms.

In 2014, Lupita was chosen as one of the faces for Miu Miu's spring campaign. She has also appeared on the covers of many magazines, including New York and Dazed & Confused. In April 2014, People named her "The Most Beautiful Woman." She also became the new face of Lancôme, being the first Black woman to represent the brand. In November, Glamour named her "Woman of the Year."

Lupita was on the cover of Vogue in July 2014. This made her the second African woman and ninth Black woman to cover the magazine. She also appeared on the cover of Elle (France) that month. She was on the October 2015 issue of Vogue again. In October 2015, a day was officially named "Lupita Nyong'o Day" in Harlem, New York.

Lupita was featured in Annie Leibovitz's 2016 Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue. She was honored with a caricature portrait at Sardi's restaurant in New York City in May 2016. In July, she was chosen to star in Tiffany & Co.'s Fall 2016 campaign. Lupita appeared on Vogue′s October 2016 cover, her third time. She was also honored at the 2016 Elle Women in Hollywood Awards.

In January 2017, she appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue. She later appeared on the cover of UK's The Sunday Times Magazine in October 2017. In November 2017, she was on the cover of Grazia UK magazine. She later shared her disappointment because the magazine had changed her hair to look more like European hair. Lupita often talks about loving her "African kinky hair."

In December 2017, Lupita landed her fourth Vogue cover in a row for the January 2018 issue. This made her the first Black actress to do so. She was also included in Tim Walker's 2018 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland-themed Pirelli Calendar.

In June 2018, it was announced that Lupita would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In July, she starred with actress Saoirse Ronan in a Calvin Klein campaign. Lupita named Eartha Kitt and Katharine Hepburn as her inspirations. In October 2018, Lupita was honored again by Elle magazine for their "Women in Hollywood" issue, along with her Black Panther co-stars. Lupita appeared on the cover of Vogue España's November 2018 edition. She received her Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2019.

Lupita appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's October 2019 issue. In November, she released her first song, "Sulwe's Song," which she wrote for her book. She was also featured on singer Ciara's song "Melanin." Lupita was named one of Africa's 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2019.

Lupita made her first appearance on British Vogue's February 2020 cover. In March 2020, she was on Africa's "50 Most Powerful Women" list by Forbes.

Lupita's Personal Life

Lupita Nyong'o at an event for Time's Up at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival

As of June 2024, Lupita lives in Los Angeles. She moved there from Brooklyn in June 2023. She speaks English, Spanish, Luo, and Swahili fluently.

Lupita used to have a lifelong fear of cats. However, she worked through this fear for the 2024 film A Quiet Place: Day One so she could work with her cat co-stars. By the end of the movie's production, she loved cats so much that she adopted her own pet cat, named Yoyo.

In August 2024, Lupita announced that she had become a U.S. citizen. She shared that she planned to vote in her first U.S. presidential election.

Lupita's Film and TV Roles

Film

Television

Video Games

Behind the Scenes

Theatre

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Lupita Nyong'o para niños

• List of Mexican Academy Award winners and nominees