Lupita Nyong'o has dismissed racist criticism over her casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan's upcoming film The Odyssey, asserting that the movie's cast is "representative of the world."
In an interview with Elle magazine, the Oscar-winning actress addressed the backlash regarding her dual role as Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra in Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem. "This is a mythological story," Nyong'o said. "I'm very supportive of Chris's intention with it and with the version of this story that he's telling. Our cast is representative of the world. I am not spending my time thinking of a defence. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not."
A Grand Epic
Nyong'o, best known for her role in Black Panther, elaborated on the significance of the project. "It's quite something to be a part of The Odyssey because it is so grand. It spans worlds. So that's why the cast is what it is. We're occupying the epic narrative of our time," she added. "I can't spend my time thinking about all the people who still don't love me. You'll find the representatives who believe in you, and you'll get on with it. I want to believe I'm built to last."
The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as the hero Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as his wife Penelope, and Tom Holland as their son Telemachus. The ensemble also includes Zendaya as Athena, Charlize Theron as Calypso, Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, and Benny Safdie as Agamemnon. The film follows Odysseus's perilous journey home after the decade-long Trojan War.
Elon Musk's Criticism
In January, Tesla founder Elon Musk claimed Nolan had "lost his integrity" by casting Nyong'o as Helen, responding to a user on X who stated that the "face that launched a thousand ships" was "fair skinned, blonde." "Casting choices that make the premise incoherent are admissions that the story was never the point and an insult to the author," the user wrote. Last week, Musk again stirred controversy by agreeing with Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh that "not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong'o is 'the most beautiful woman in the world'."
Musk wrote: "Christopher Nolan knows that he would be called racist if he gave 'the most beautiful woman' role to a white woman. Nolan is technically talented but a coward. Too afraid to do anything that even slightly challenges the spirit of the age."
Support from Celebrities
Social media users and celebrities, including late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel and actors Alec Baldwin and Whoopi Goldberg, condemned Musk's comments. "I actually feel kind of sorry for these men because it must be so sad to be so racist that you can't even appreciate beauty when it falls outside the Eurocentric standard," one person wrote on X. "Just a sad, bland, boring life."
Goldberg said on The View: "I would suggest looking in a mirror if you have any concerns about people's looks, if this is where we're going." Baldwin wrote on Instagram: "Dear Elon, but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world."
Beyond Beauty
Nyong'o rejected the notion that Helen's defining trait should be her beauty. "You can't perform beauty," she told Elle. "I want to know who a character is. What's beyond beauty? What's beyond looks? That's the thing about doing such a well-known text, which has been studied and interpreted and derived from. The research could be endless. The good thing about working with a writer like Chris is that it's on the page. The investigation starts with the pages you're given. That's what I based it on."
Nolan did not directly respond to the backlash but told Elle he was "absolutely desperate" for Nyong'o to take the role. "The strength and the poise were so important to the character of Helen," the Oppenheimer director said. "And Lupita makes it look effortless. I am sure there's a tremendous amount of discipline and training that goes into projecting that kind of poise and feeling the emotion bubbling beneath the character, the layers of the character right there underneath."
The Odyssey is scheduled for release in theatres on 17 July.
