(Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
The Odyssey has received some backlash online for several casting choices. Star Lupita Nyong’o has recently responded to it, and has her own take on the issues.
What did Lupita Nyong’o say about The Odyssey’s casting backlash?
Nyong’o, who is set to play Helen of Troy in the upcoming movie, recently spoke to Elle as part of a profile on her. In it, she spoke briefly about the ongoing backlash against her being cast in the role. Over the past few weeks or so, social media has been filled with accounts criticizing the movie ever since its latest trailer came out.
Issues largely stem from the casting of Elliot Page and Nyong’o, and has even seen people like Elon Musk adding their voice to criticizing the decisions to cast both. Nyong’o first noted that the story of The Odyssey is “a mythological story,” and not something that’s based on any real people. She then touched on director Christopher Nolan‘s intentions in the movie, and stuck with the director behind them all.
“I’m very supportive of Chris’s intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling,” Nyong’o said. “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. … 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. … I was so deeply honored to be entrusted with the role.”
The Oscar-winning actress also touched on her character’s infamous beauty. In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy is said to have been so beautiful that wars started over her looks. To Nyong’o, it’s impossible for anyone to simply play beautiful without acting, and she’s much more interested in the inner character.
“You can’t perform beauty,” said Nyong’o. “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.”
The Odyssey is set to release in theaters on July 17, 2026.
Originally published by Anthony Nash on Coming Soon
