Lupita Nyong’o Says Hollywood Only Sent Her Slave Scripts After Her Oscar Win [Video]

Lupita Nyong’o is shedding light on the challenges she faced in Hollywood following her Oscar win in 2014 for her role as Patsey in “12 Years a Slave” revealing an industry pattern that Black women have long spoken about.

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During a CNN Inside Africa interview with musician Angélique Kidjo, she recounted the repeated typecasting she faced after her Academy Award win.

“After I won that Academy Award, you’d think, ‘I’m gonna get lead roles here and there.’ [They’re like], ‘Oh, Lupita, we’d like you to play another movie where you’re a slave, but this time you’re on a slave ship.’ Those are the kind of offers I was getting in the months after winning my Academy Award,” she explained.

The narrow scope of opportunities made her feel boxed in, even after achieving one of the highest honors in film. Nyong’o emphasized that she would rather turn down work than perpetuate stereotypes, prioritizing the integrity of her craft and the representation of African women.

“If that means I work one job less a year to ensure that I’m not perpetuating the stereotypes that are expected of people from my continent, then let me do that,” she added.

Through her choices, Nyong’o hopes to act as a “joyful warrior,” building a body of work that reflects the complexity, joy, and resilience of African women.