Lupita Nyong’o has revealed how one talent agent told her that her career in Hollywood would last only “two-and-half, three years” because of her skin colour.
She told Vogue Magazine that an agent asked her, “Would Beyoncé be who she is if she didn’t look like she does?. The agent went on to say, ”Being lighter-skinned, more people can look at [Beyoncé’s] image and see themselves in her.”
Lupita said, “I have to deafen my ears to that Christian lady. She is looking at me as part of the cultural tapestry. I am living and breathing. That person is not considering what I had for breakfast, how that is sitting in my stomach, and why I didn’t do well with that audition.”
Lupita continued, “I cannot run away from who I am and my complexion or the larger society and how they may view that. There are certain cards that have been dealt me that I take on,” Lupita explained.
“I want to create opportunities for other people of color because I’m fortunate enough to have a platform to do that. That is why (my characters in) Eclipsed and even Queen of Katwe are so important, to change the narrative, offer a new lens on African identity. Being able to use my platform to expand and diversify the African voice, I feel very passionate about that. It feels intentional, meaningful.”
