Lupita Nyong’o fired back at critics of her casting in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, making it clear she won’t let the backlash define her performance.
In a new Elle profile, the Oscar winning actress addressed the controversy including pointed remarks from Elon Musk over her role as Helen of Troy, often described as “the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“You can’t perform beauty,” Nyong’o said. “I want to know who a character is. What is beyond beauty? What is beyond looks?”
The 43-year-old emphasised that Homer’s epic is mythological, not historical and praised Nolan’s vision for assembling a cast that reflects the world today.
“I’m very supportive of Chris’s intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling,” she explained. “The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not.”
The actress also noted the scale of the project.
“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,” she explained.
Musk had previously blasted the decision to cast Nyong’o as both Helen and her sister Clytemnestra, accusing Nolan of chasing awards.
Alec Baldwin publicly defended Nyong’o, calling her “the most beautiful woman in the world,” while Jimmy Kimmel mocked Musk in a late night monologue.
Nolan himself has stood firmly behind his choice.
He praised Helen’s “strength and poise” showed faith in the actress that she can portray it.
He also called her “an incredible person to work with.”