Lupita Nyong’o revealed that losing her Kenyan accent to pursue a career in Hollywood was a deeply personal struggle. During a recent episode of the “What Now? With Trevor Noah” podcast, the Oscar-winning actress expressed that the decision felt like a betrayal to her true self. Nyong’o, who was born in Mexico but raised in Kenya, attended the Yale School of Drama in the U.S. before achieving success in film.
“The first time I allowed myself to change my accent was when I went to drama school,” Nyong’o shared, according to Entertainment Weekly. She explained that she chose drama school not just to act instinctively, but to fully understand her craft. “I wanted to learn what I was good at and improve on my weaknesses. One of those weaknesses was accents.”
Nyong’o described the emotional conflict she faced while working on her American accent. “Deciding to suppress my Kenyan sound felt like betrayal,” she said. “I didn’t feel like myself, and I cried many nights trying to sleep… many, many nights.”
Nyong’o gained widespread recognition for her role in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” which earned her an Academy Award. This breakthrough led to major roles in blockbuster films such as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Black Panther.” Recently, she starred in Paramount’s “A Quiet Place: Day One” and lent her voice to the animated family film “The Wild Robot,” currently in theaters.
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