Lupita Nyong’o responds to rightwing criticism of The Odyssey: ‘Our cast is representative of the world’

Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Amondi Nyong'o is an Academy Award-winning actress known for her emotionally resonant performances and range across genre films. She made her feature film debut in Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" (2013), for which she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She has since become a major figure in blockbuster cinema, playing Nakia in Marvel's Black Panther films and starring in the acclaimed horror hits "Us" (2019) and "A Quiet Place: Day One" (2024). She also voices the lead character, Roz, in the critical darling The Wild Robot (2024), with a sequel currently in development. In 2026, she joins the ensemble of Christopher Nolan's massive IMAX epic "The Odyssey". While early rumors speculated she might play the goddess Athena, updated industry reports indicate she plays Clytemnestra, the vengeful Queen of Mycenae and wife of Agamemnon (played by Benny Safdie). This role adapts a dark, tragic storyline from the Greek mythos adjacent to Odysseus's journey.