Lupita Nyong’o Responds To Racist Criticism Of Her Odyssey Casting: 'Our Cast Is Representative Of The World’

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan's casting for The Odyssey faced severe backlash after it was announced that Lupita Nyong’o would play both Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra. Several conservatives criticised Nolan for the casting. Nyong’o has finally responded to the racist casting backlash. Here's what she said.

Lupita Nyong’o on criticism of casting in The Odyssey

In an interview with Elle, Nyong’o said, “This is a mythological story,” adding she is very supportive of Nolan's ”intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling.”

“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.”

On the discussion on Helen’s beauty, the Oscar-winning actress said, “You can’t perform beauty. I want to know who a character is. 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. The research could be endless.”

She also said that the good part of working with a writer like Christopher Nolan is that “it’s on the page. The investigation starts with the pages you’re given. That’s what I based it on.”

The Odyssey casting controversy

The right-wing commentators like Matt Walsh slammed Nolan, saying that “not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world'” and that Nolan was a “coward” for choosing a Black actress to play the role. Elon Musk, reacting to an X user accusing Hollywood filmmakers of “race swapping” historical characters, wrote on X that Nolan “wants the awards.”