Lupita Nyong’o
Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o was born March 1, 1983, in Mexico City to Kenyan parents. Her father, a politician, and her mother, an educator, sparked Nyong’o’s early dedication to work that fostered deeper impact and meaning. She primarily grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, where her interest in the performing arts came to life. She made her stage debut with the Nairobi-based Phoenix Players in a production of Romeo and Juliet. After graduating from Hampshire College, Nyong’o continued her studies at the Yale School of Drama, where she received a Master of Fine Arts in acting.
Shortly after graduating from Yale, Nyong’o’s career reached new heights when she starred in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave as Patsey. Her remarkable performance earned widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe nomination and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the sixth Black woman to win the Oscar in the category.
Her work with McQueen opened the door to more critically acclaimed features, including Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), in which she portrayed Nakia, as well as Us (2019), where she played Adelaide Wilson. More recently, Nyong’o appeared in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026), portraying both Helen of Troy and her sister, Clytemnestra.
Nyong’o’s passion for storytelling extends beyond the screen to activism and global causes. She is an advocate for animal rights and has worked with WildAid to support elephant conservation. She is also a vocal supporter of women’s rights and self-esteem. In 2019, she published Sulwe, a New York Times bestselling children’s book that encourages young readers to recognize their own beauty.