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Lupita Nyong’o Experienced ‘Heartbreak and Grief’ While Ironing Out Her Kenyan Accent for Hollywood
Lupita Nyong'o reflects on losing her Kenyan accent to land American roles in Hollywood, only to be asked to go back to her original accent later on.
(Editorial Use Only) (Exclusive Coverage) Lupita Nyong'o attends the World Premiere of "Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé" at Samuel Goldwyn Theater on November 25, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. “I wanted to be able to succeed in an American market as an actor.” Just after she graduated from the Yale School of Drama, Nyong’o scored her breakthrough role in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave(2013). She remembered her mother telling her: “The way you sound is a product of your life experience.” That includes her original Kenyan accent, the one she picked up in America, and the one she formed while living in Mexico and learning Spanish.
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