Lupita Nyong'o slams Hollywood for ‘slave’ role offers

Lupita Nyong’o is contributing to breaking stereotypes by speaking openly about the roles she was offered after her Oscar win.

The actress hoped that winning a major award like an Oscar would open new doors and lead to her naturally expecting more lead roles after 12 Years a Slave.

However, she explained while talking to CNN Inside Africa that the industry kept giving her the same kind of parts.

She said, “It really did set the paces for everything I’ve done since.”

“After I won that Academy Award, you’d think I’m gonna get lead roles here and there,” the Black Panther actress added.

Lupita then shared the kind of offers she actually received.

The Wakanda Forever star explained how, instead of getting major roles, she was being asked, “‘Oh, Lupita, we’d like you to play another movie where you’re a slave, but this time you’re on a slave ship.’”

Lupita said it was a “very tender time” in her life. She shared that people were writing pieces questioning her future in Hollywood.

The 42-year-old explained how she picks projects more carefully now as an act of respect towards her Kenyan lineage.

“I like to be a joyful warrior for changing the paradigms of what it means to be African, and if that means that 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,” the 12 Years a Salve actress stated.