Lupita Nyong’o: Oscar Win Opened Doors — and Locked Her Into Slave Roles

In a frank new interview on CNN, Lupita Nyong’o revealed a painful truth: shortly after winning the Oscar for 12 Years a Slave — the debut film of her career — what followed wasn’t more lead roles or diverse opportunities. Instead, she was repeatedly offered variations of the same kind of role she had just delivered. As she put it, producers came calling with ideas like “this time you’re on a slave ship.”

She said the aftermath of the win became “a very tender time” — not because of acclaim, but because of the weight of expectation and the narrow lane Hollywood wanted to keep her in. She described being treated as a symbol or stereotype rather than a full human being.

Ultimately, Nyong’o rejected those offers. She refused to be typecast — even if that meant working less. “At the end of the day,” she said, “I am not a theory. I am an actual person.”

On Her Career and Hollywood’s Bias.