Lupita Nyong’o has made it clear she won't be entertaining the racist commentary surrounding her role as Helen of Troy in The Odyssey.
The Academy Award-winning actor spoke about the controversy in a new ELLE cover story after the movie's director Christopher Nolan received criticism about the casting.
One of the main detractors is billionaire business mogul Elon Musk, who recently shared that he felt Nolan "desecrated The Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award." Earlier this year, Musk claimed that Nolan "lost his integrity," possibly pointed at the casting of Nyong’o.
The Odyssey, an ancient Greek epic story by late poet Homer, is entirely fictional and dates back to 8th or 7th century BCE. Helen of Troy is a demi-goddess character in Greek mythology and considered a representation of beauty.
In her interview with ELLE, Nyong'o shared that she’s "very supportive of Chris' intention" of including entertainers of color in the ensemble cast. Zendaya, Travis Scott and Corey Hawkins are also in the star-studded film.
"Our cast is representative of the world. I’m not spending my time thinking of a defense. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not," Nyong’o continued.
"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 concluded.
Also in her response, Nyong'o reminded readers that The Odyssey "is a mythological story."
Nolan also spoke to ELLE and shared that casting Nyong'o was a no-brainer for him. "The strength and the poise were so important to the character of Helen. And Lupita makes it look effortless," said the two-time Academy Award winner.
"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," he continued. "She’s just an incredible person to work with, and I was absolutely desperate for her to do the part."
