Lupita Nyong’o is addressing the backlash to her casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey.”
Nyong’o plays Helen of Troy, the Greek mythological character who was thought of as the most beautiful woman in the world and is often referred to as “the face that launched 1,000 ships” because her marriage to Paris of Troy kickstarted the Trojan War. Nyong’o’s casting has sparked racist backlash, with commentators like Matt Walsh 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 her instead of a white woman. Elon Musk concurred, saying Nolan cast Nyong’o because he “wants the awards.”
“This is a mythological story,” Nyong’o said in an interview with Elle, dismissing the hate. “I’m very supportive of Chris’ 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.”
And on the topic of Helen’s beauty, Nyong’o said her interpretation of the character goes deeper. “You can’t perform beauty,” she said. “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. The good thing about working with a writer like Chris is that it’s on the page. The investigation starts with the pages you’re given. That’s what I based it on.”
Nyong’o isn’t the only “Odyssey” cast member receiving the backlash: Travis Scott and Elliot Page, who play undisclosed roles, have also faced racist transphobic remarks, respectively. But Nyong’o says the cast’s diversity is a strength: “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.”
Source: variety.com
