Lupita Nyong'o facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lupita Nyong'o
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Nyong'o in 2026
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Lupita Amondi Nyong'o
1 March 1983 Mexico City, Mexico
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| Occupation | Actress, author |
| Years active | 2005–present |
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| Awards | Full list |
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (born 1 March 1983) is an award-winning Kenyan-Mexican actress and author. She is famous for playing strong and memorable characters in popular movies. She has won an Academy Award and a Daytime Emmy Award.
Nyong'o first became internationally known for her moving role in the historical drama 12 Years a Slave (2013). Her performance won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was the first Kenyan actress and the first Mexican actress to win an Oscar.
She is also widely celebrated for playing the brave warrior and spy Nakia in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). In addition, she played Maz Kanata in the Star Wars sequel trilogy using motion capture technology, voiced Raksha the mother wolf in The Jungle Book, and voiced the robot Roz in The Wild Robot (2024). Beyond acting, Nyong'o writes children's books and works to protect wildlife.
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Birth and Family Background
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born on 1 March 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico. Her parents, Dorothy Ogada Buyu and Anyang' Nyong'o, are from Kenya. At the time of her birth, her father worked as a visiting college professor in Mexico.
Her family belongs to the Luo people of Kenya. Luo traditions include naming a child after the events or location of their birth. Because she was born in Mexico, her parents gave her the Spanish name Lupita. Lupita is a friendly form of the name Guadalupe.
She has five brothers and sisters. Her family includes many talented people who work in education, science, and the arts. Her father later served as a senator and governor in Kenya. Her mother leads a health foundation in Africa.
Childhood and Schooling in Kenya
Nyong'o moved to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, with her family before she turned one year old. She grew up in an active, artistic household. Family get-togethers often included children putting on plays, reciting poetry, and making music.
She went to an all-girls school in Nairobi and later attended the Rusinga International School. Nyong'o loved acting from a very young age. She regularly performed in school plays and community theatre.
When she was 14 years old, she played the lead role of Juliet in William Shakespeare's famous play Romeo and Juliet. The production was staged by a professional theatre group called the Phoenix Players in Nairobi. This experience made her realize she wanted to act professionally.
Learning Languages and College Education
When Nyong'o was 16, her parents sent her to Mexico for seven months to learn to speak fluent Spanish. She lived in the city of Taxco and took classes at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She speaks four languages: English, Spanish, Dholuo, and Swahili.
Nyong'o returned to Kenya to finish high school at St. Mary's School, where she earned an International Baccalaureate diploma. She then moved to the United States to study film and theatre at Hampshire College in Massachusetts. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2007.
Acting Career and Major Roles
Behind the Scenes and Early Roles
Nyong'o started working in the film industry behind the camera. She worked as a production assistant on several major films, including The Constant Gardener (2005) and The Namesake (2006). A production assistant helps film crews with daily tasks on set.
In 2008, she starred in a short film called East River. She then moved back to Kenya and acted in the television drama Shuga. In 2009, Nyong'o wrote, directed, and produced an educational documentary called In My Genes.
Yale and Breakthrough in 12 Years a Slave
Nyong'o wanted to improve her acting craft, so she enrolled in the master's degree program at the prestigious Yale School of Drama. During her time at Yale, she acted in classic stage plays like Uncle Vanya and Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.
Just weeks after graduating from Yale in 2012, Nyong'o auditioned for director Steve McQueen. She was cast as Patsey in the historical movie 12 Years a Slave (2013). The film told the true story of Solomon Northup.
Critics praised Nyong'o for her emotional and powerful performance. In 2014, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This win made her an instant global star.
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Star Wars, Broadway, and Voice Acting
After her Oscar win, Nyong'o chose diverse and challenging roles. In 2015, she joined the cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She played Maz Kanata, a wise and ancient alien pirate. To bring Maz to life, Nyong'o wore special motion-capture suits with sensors that tracked her facial movements.
Nyong'o also starred on Broadway in the powerful play Eclipsed (2015–2016), written by Danai Gurira. The production made history as the first Broadway play with an all-Black, all-female cast and creative team. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Tony Award.
In 2016, she voiced the mother wolf Raksha in Disney's live-action version of The Jungle Book. That same year, she starred in Queen of Katwe, a film about a real-life chess champion from Uganda.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Black Panther
In 2018, Nyong'o played Nakia in Marvel Studios' blockbuster superhero movie Black Panther. Nakia is a brave undercover spy and fighter from the fictional African nation of Wakanda.
To prepare for the action-packed role, Nyong'o trained in several martial arts, including judo and jujitsu. She also learned phrases in the Xhosa language. The film was a massive worldwide hit, earning more than $1.3 billion at the box office.
In 2022, she returned to the role in the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The movie explored how Wakanda defended itself while honoring the legacy of its fallen king.
Horror Films, Animation, and Recent Roles
In 2019, Nyong'o starred in the hit psychological thriller Us, directed by Jordan Peele. She played two completely different roles: a mother trying to protect her family and the mysterious duplicate of herself. Critics called her dual performance exceptional.
Nyong'o has also worked on several projects for younger audiences. In 2021, she produced and voiced characters in Super Sema, an animated series about a young African superhero girl who uses STEM skills to solve problems. In 2024, she voiced Roz the robot in the animated film The Wild Robot.
In 2024, she starred in the thriller A Quiet Place: Day One. She prepared for the role by overcoming her lifelong fear of cats, eventually adopting a real pet cat named Yoyo. In 2026, she appeared in Christopher Nolan's epic film The Odyssey.
Writing and Children's Books
The Picture Book Sulwe
In October 2019, Nyong'o published a picture book for children called Sulwe. The illustrations were created by artist Vashti Harrison. The word "Sulwe" means "star" in the Luo language.
The story follows a young girl named Sulwe who wishes her dark skin was lighter. Sulwe goes on a magical journey in the night sky and learns that both day and night have their own special beauty and purpose.
The book became a number-one New York Times Best Seller. It received an honor at the Coretta Scott King Book Awards and won an NAACP Image Award.
Conservation and Community Work
Wildlife Protection
Nyong'o uses her public platform to protect endangered animals. In 2015, she became a Global Elephant Ambassador for WildAid, an international conservation group.
She travels to Kenya to teach communities about the importance of protecting wild elephants and rhinoceroses from illegal hunting. In 2016, she supported the historic event where Kenya burned stockpiles of illegal ivory to stop animal trading.
Education and the Arts
Nyong'o advocates for young people, especially girls, to study the arts and media. She works with community organizations in Kenya and the United States to fund arts education and health initiatives.
She also served as the jury president at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024, helping highlight independent films from around the globe.
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Selected Filmography
Movies
- 12 Years a Slave (2013) – Patsey
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – Maz Kanata
- The Jungle Book (2016) – Raksha (voice)
- Queen of Katwe (2016) – Harriet Mutesi
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) – Maz Kanata
- Black Panther (2018) – Nakia
- Us (2019) – Adelaide Wilson / Red
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – Maz Kanata
- The 355 (2022) – Khadijah Adiyeme
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) – Nakia
- A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) – Samira
- The Wild Robot (2024) – Roz (voice)
- The Odyssey (2026) – Helen / Clytemnestra
Television
- Shuga (2009–2012) – Ayira
- Star Wars Forces of Destiny (2017–2018) – Maz Kanata (voice)
- Serengeti (2019–2021) – Narrator
- Super Sema (2021) – Mama Dunia (voice) and executive producer
Major Awards and Honors
Nyong'o has received numerous awards for her acting and storytelling:
- Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Supporting Actress (12 Years a Slave, 2014)
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress (12 Years a Slave, 2014)
- Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming (Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices, 2021)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Us, 2020)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children (Sulwe, 2020)
See also
In Spanish: Lupita Nyong'o para niños
- List of Mexican Academy Award winners and nominees
