Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong'o is a Kenyan-Mexican actor, producer, director, and author whose work spans film, theatre, documentary production, and children's literature. She won the Academy Award for supporting actress for her first feature-film role, in 12 Years a Slave.

Star Mover ranking

Not ranked in Entertainment yet

0 points

Sign in to Move Up

Profile

About Lupita Nyong'o

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

Kenya and Mexico · Actor, Producer, Director

Show full profile Hide full profile

Known for: Film acting; Stage acting; Documentary filmmaking; Children's literature
Country: Kenya and Mexico

Actor
Producer
Director
Author

At a glance

Nyong'o won the Academy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role for 12 Years a Slave at the 86th Academy Awards.
She received a 2016 Tony Award nomination for Actress in a Play for Eclipsed.
She directed and produced In My Genes, a Kenyan documentary about the experiences and discrimination faced by people with albinism.
She wrote Sulwe, a children's picture book addressing colorism, self-esteem, and beauty.

Kenyan-Mexican background and education

Born in Mexico and raised in Kenya, Nyong'o identifies as Kenyan-Mexican and holds Kenyan and Mexican citizenship. She earned a BA from Hampshire College and completed an MFA at Yale School of Drama in 2012.

Screen and stage career

Nyong'o made her feature-film debut in 12 Years a Slave and won the Academy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role for that performance in 2014. Her theatre work includes Eclipsed, for which she received a 2016 Tony Award nomination for Actress in a Play. She later played Samira in the 2024 film A Quiet Place: Day One.

Documentary and literary work

Beyond acting, Nyong'o directed and produced the 2009 documentary In My Genes, which examined the experiences of people with albinism and the discrimination they faced in Kenya. She also wrote Sulwe, a children's picture book about colorism, self-esteem, and beauty that Penguin Random House identifies as a New York Times bestseller.

Timeline

2009 Directed and produced the documentary In My Genes.
2012 Graduated from Yale School of Drama with an MFA.
2014-03-02 Won the Academy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role for 12 Years a Slave.
2016 Received a Tony Award nomination for Actress in a Play for Eclipsed.
2024-06-28 Appeared as Samira in A Quiet Place: Day One.

Additional verified details

Biographical facts

Nyong'o was born in Mexico, grew up in Kenya, and identifies as Kenyan-Mexican with Kenyan and Mexican citizenship.
She received a BA from Hampshire College and an MFA from Yale School of Drama in 2012.
Nyong'o directed and produced In My Genes, a 2009 Kenyan documentary about the experiences and discrimination faced by people with albinism in Kenya.
Her first feature-film role was in 12 Years a Slave.
She won the Academy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role for 12 Years a Slave at the 86th Academy Awards.
Nyong'o wrote Sulwe, a children's picture book about colorism, self-esteem, and beauty that Penguin Random House identifies as a New York Times bestseller.
She played Samira in A Quiet Place: Day One.