In a post shared on Instagram, Lupita Nyong'o broke down her history with leading NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, with whom she worked on the set of the 2016 movie Queen of Katwe.
"We met when he was just 14 during my internship at his mother's production company, Mirabai Films," Nyong'o wrote alongside pictures of Mamdani on the set of Queen of Katwe, directed by his mother, Mira Nair. "After a month of hearing his name mentioned, I found myself curious about this boy. ... The young man before me was present, warm, and respectful. He greeted everyone, introduced himself to me with genuine eye contact and a smile."
She wrote that there was "no trace of entitlement" to him, and that she immediately sensed he was "down-to-earth." They later connected again when he worked as an assistant director on Queen of Katwe, filmed in Uganda.
"The boy I'd met had matured, but his warmth, presence, and engagement remained," she continued. "He proved nimble, resourceful, and adept at navigating both American and Ugandan set cultures. He managed an ever-changing community of cast and crew with grace, easing tensions as they arose and maintaining remarkable calm under immense pressure."
She stressed that being a proficient assistant director requires "a particular skill set," inspiring the cast and crew to follow "sometimes stringent, temporary rules," and translate the director's vision "into actionable steps." The key, she added, was to be understanding, treat people with empathy, and "inspire them to move with your tide."
"Zohran did all of this with the affable spirit we've all come to know and love," she wrote. "He was focused, dedicated, and passionate about the work. Whether on our film set or in politics, Zohran has always been an incredibly talented and productive person. When he told me he was running for State Assembly in Queens, I wasn't surprised—I was impressed."
She said that by choosing to take a "challenging, often thankless path," he proved that he "believed he had something to offer the people of the city he grew up in and loved so deeply."
Nyong'o's father, Anyang' Nyong'o, is a Kenyan politician who currently serves as the second governor of Kisumu County.
"Having grown up with a father in politics myself, I knew the road wouldn't be easy," she added.
Nyong'o wrote that she saw "the same glint his eyes" when he spoke about his political career that she saw when he worked as an assistant director.
"The qualities that made Zohran an exceptional leader in my experience with him on set translate powerfully to the political career he's established," she wrote.
The two reunited earlier this year during a performance of Twelfth Night, once again proving to her the nature of his character by making time despite having such a busy schedule.
"I strongly believe that Zohran Mamdani possesses the personality, skill, and temperament to be an excellent mayor of New York City," she concluded. "It was an honor to cast my vote for him!"
In the caption of the post, she urged her followers to get out and vote in the NYC Mayoral race, which will wrap up next week.
As reported by The New York Times, Mamdani is leading in the polls ahead of election day. The progressive Democratic candidate has a considerable lead against the Independent candidate, former governor Andrew Cuomo. One of the polls showed that Mamdani has 50 percent of support from potential voters, while Cuomo has only 25 percent. Republican nominee Curtis Silwa, meanwhile, has 21 percent.