Lupita Nyong’o is a 43-year-old Kenyan-Mexican actress best known for 12 Years a Slave, Black Panther, Us and Star Wars. Born on March 1, 1983, in Mexico City, Mexico, and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her very first feature film role, as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave, and has gone on to star in some of the biggest film franchises in the world.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Lupita Nyong’o |
| Age | 43 years old |
| Date of Birth | March 1, 1983 |
| Birthplace | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Nationality | Kenyan-Mexican |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Occupation | Actress, author |
| Known For | 12 Years a Slave, Black Panther, Us, Star Wars |
| Education | Hampshire College, Yale School of Drama |
| Years Active | 2008–present |
Who Is Lupita Nyong’o?
Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan-Mexican actress who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her first feature film role, as the enslaved woman Patsey in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave in 2013. She has since starred as Maz Kanata in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, as Nakia in Marvel’s Black Panther films, and as Adelaide Wilson in Jordan Peele’s horror film Us in 2019.
Nyong’o was born in Mexico City to Kenyan parents and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. She studied film and theatre at Hampshire College in Massachusetts and earned a master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama in 2012, just before her breakthrough in 12 Years a Slave. She has also worked on stage, earning a Tony Award nomination for the Broadway play Eclipsed, and she wrote the children’s picture book Sulwe in 2019.
Early Life & Background
Lupita Nyong’o was born on March 1, 1983, in Mexico City, Mexico, where her father, Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, a Kenyan politician and academic, was working as a visiting lecturer. The family returned to Kenya when she was a baby, and she grew up in Nairobi, attending St. Mary’s School. At the age of 16, her parents sent her to Mexico to learn Spanish.
Nyong’o moved to the United States to study film and theatre at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, and she worked behind the scenes on film productions in Kenya, including as a production assistant on The Constant Gardener in 2005. She then earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama, graduating in 2012. Her first feature film role came the following year.
Career
Nyong’o’s feature film debut was as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave in 2013, opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender. Her performance as an enslaved woman on a Louisiana plantation won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her one of the most talked-about new actors in the world. She also earned a Tony Award nomination for her performance in the Broadway play Eclipsed in 2015 and 2016, in which she played a young woman in war-torn Liberia.
In 2015 she joined the Star Wars franchise as Maz Kanata, the wise pirate queen, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, returning for The Last Jedi in 2017 and The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. She voiced Raksha in The Jungle Book in 2016, and in 2018 she played Nakia, a War Dog spy and T’Challa’s former lover, in Marvel’s Black Panther, returning for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022.
In 2019 Nyong’o took the lead role in Jordan Peele’s horror film Us, playing both Adelaide Wilson and her terrifying double, Red, in a performance that earned widespread acclaim. She also starred in the zombie comedy Little Monsters in 2019 and in the spy film The 355 in 2022. In 2024 she starred as Samira in A Quiet Place: Day One. She is also the author of the children’s picture book Sulwe, published in 2019, about a young girl learning to love her dark skin.
Facts About Lupita Nyong’o
- She was born in Mexico City to Kenyan parents and raised in Nairobi, Kenya.
- She studied at Hampshire College and the Yale School of Drama.
- She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave (2013).
- She played Maz Kanata in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
- She wrote the children’s book Sulwe (2019).
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Lupita Nyong’o?
Lupita Nyong’o is 43 years old. She was born on March 1, 1983, in Mexico City, Mexico.
How tall is Lupita Nyong’o?
Lupita Nyong’o is 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) tall.
Where is Lupita Nyong’o from?
Lupita Nyong’o was born in Mexico City, Mexico, to Kenyan parents and was raised in Nairobi, Kenya. She is Kenyan-Mexican.
What did Lupita Nyong’o win an Oscar for?
Lupita Nyong’o won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave (2013), her first feature film role.
Who does Lupita Nyong’o play in Black Panther?
Lupita Nyong’o plays Nakia in Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). Nakia is a War Dog spy and T’Challa’s former lover.
How old is Lupita Nyong’o?
Lupita Nyong’o is 43 years old. She was born on March 1, 1983, in Mexico City, Mexico.
How tall is Lupita Nyong’o?
Lupita Nyong’o is 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) tall.
Where is Lupita Nyong’o from?
Lupita Nyong’o was born in Mexico City, Mexico, to Kenyan parents and was raised in Nairobi, Kenya. She is Kenyan-Mexican.
What did Lupita Nyong’o win an Oscar for?
Lupita Nyong’o won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave (2013), her first feature film role.
Who does Lupita Nyong’o play in Black Panther?
Lupita Nyong’o plays Nakia in Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). Nakia is a War Dog spy and T’Challa’s former lover.
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