Lupita Nyong'o Says Oscar For 12 Years A Slave Stereotyped Her In 'Slave' Roles, Explains 'What It Means To Be African'

Lupita

Nyong'o won an Academy Award for her 2013 film 12 Years a Slave. She was 30 back then. After more than a decade, the actress has now revealed that the big honour led to her getting offered more slave roles. Lupita, who's also known for Black Panther, shared what the breakthrough victory did to her on the professional front. In an interview with CNN, Lupita shared how she got stereotyped. The 42-year-old said, "My winning an Academy Award came at the very start of my career. It was for the first film I had ever done. So, it really did set the paces for everything I’ve done since."

Oscar win stereotyped Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita made her feature film acting debut as Patsy in the Steve McQueen-directed drama film. "What’s very interesting is that after I won the Academy Award, you’d think like, 'Oh, I’m going to get the lead roles here and there.' But it’s 'Oh, Lupita. We’d like you to do another movie where you’re a slave but this time you’re on a slave ship.' Those are the kinds of offers [I was getting] in the months after winning my Academy Award," the actress said.

The 'very tender time'

Calling the months post the Oscar win as a "very tender time," she opened up about how she became centre of public scrutiny and subsequent pressure. "There is an expectation for you and your career. There were think pieces about is this the beginning or the end of this African woman’s career? I had to deafen myself to all those pontificators because at the end of the day I am not a theory. I am an actual person," Lupita added."I like to be a joyful warrior for changing the paradigms of what it means to be African. If that means I work one less job a year to ensure that I am not perpetuating these stereotypes that are expected of people from my content then let me do that," she stated.