Lupita Nyong'o fired back at criticism for her casting in Christopher Nolan's forthcoming epic The Odyssey. The Oscar-winning actress, 43, responded to the backlash regarding her casting as Helen of Troy and, particularly, the unsolicited comments from Elon Musk. She addressed being cast in the role equivalent to 'the most beautiful woman in the world' and defended the casting choice as well as her portrayal of the character. She also reminded readers that Homer's epic 'is a mythological story' rather than a historical account in an Elle profile published on Thursday.
Nyong'o's Response to Criticism
Lupita Nyong'o defended her casting and her performance in The Odyssey amid backlash against director Christopher Nolan. She responded to harsh criticism over her appearance after Nolan cast her as Helen of Troy, 'the most beautiful woman in the world,' in his forthcoming epic. 'You can't perform beauty,' she told the outlet. 'I want to know who a character is.' She continued: 'What is beyond beauty? What is beyond looks? That's the thing about doing such a well-known text, which has been studied and interpreted and derived from.'
Research could be endless. 'The good thing about working with a writer like Chris is that it's on the page,' she said about working with the acclaimed director. 'The investigation starts with the pages you're given. That's what I based it on,' she added. 'I'm very supportive of Chris's intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling,' she said. She noted that the cast is representative of the world. 'I'm not spending my time thinking of a defense,' she continued. 'The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not.'
Elsewhere in the interview, she said: '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 reminded readers and moviegoers that Homer's epic 'is a mythological story' rather than a historical account.
Nolan Defends His Decision
Nolan also defended his decision and told Elle magazine: 'The strength and the poise were so important to the character of Helen. And Lupita makes it look effortless.' He continued: 'I'm 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. She's just an incredible person to work with, and I was absolutely desperate for her to do the part,' he added.
Elon Musk's Criticism and Celebrity Support
Earlier this year, Musk took to X, formerly Twitter, to slam the choice to cast Nyong'o as both Helen of Troy and Helen's sister, Clytemnestra, in The Odyssey. In January, he tweeted that the filmmaker had 'lost his integrity.' Earlier this month, Musk responded to an X user's suggestion that Nolan is a director 'so keen to race swap white characters' because the Academy Awards implemented diversity requirements. Musk retweeted the conservative commentator's post and claimed Nolan 'wants the awards.'
Baldwin wrote back on Instagram: 'Dear Elon… but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world…Alec.' Kimmel also fired back at Musk's comments in his monologue on his late night talk show and told him to 'stay in [his] lane.'
