Lupita Nyong'o addresses hate over Helen of Troy casting in Nolan's The Odyssey

Actor Lupita Nyong'o dismissed backlash over her casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, saying her focus is on the filmmaker's interpretation of the myth and exploring the character beyond beauty.

In Short

• Lupita Nyong’o said she supports Christopher Nolan’s vision for The Odyssey
• She said she wants to explore Helen of Troy as a person, beyond the idea of beauty
• The backlash grew after Matt Walsh criticised the casting on X

Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong’o has responded to the backlash over her casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, saying she supports the filmmaker’s vision for the mythological story and does not see any point in engaging with the criticism. Since the film’s cast was announced, several social media users have questioned the decision to cast a Black woman in a role drawn from ancient Greek mythology, setting off a wider debate online.

In Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic, Nyong’o will play Helen of Troy, the legendary figure often described as the most beautiful woman in the world. Speaking to Elle, she dismissed the criticism and said the cast reflects the world.

“This is a mythological story. I’m very supportive of Chris’ intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling. Our cast is representative of the world. I’m not spending my time thinking of a defence. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not,” she said.

Her approach to Helen of Troy

Nyong’o said she was more interested in understanding Helen of Troy as a person than in treating the role as an idea built only around beauty. She said physical appearance alone cannot define a character, and that she wanted to explore the emotional and psychological depth beyond the image long associated with Helen.

“You can’t perform beauty. 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,” she added.

She also said that working on a widely studied mythological text offered endless scope for interpretation and research. During the interview, Nyong’o said she could not spend her time “thinking about all the people who still don’t love” her.

Backlash around the casting

The controversy intensified last week after political commentator and Daily Wire host Matt Walsh criticised Nyong’o’s casting on X. Sharing a screenshot of a report by The Hollywood Reporter about her role in The Odyssey, Walsh questioned the casting choice and accused Nolan of avoiding backlash by not casting a white actor as Helen of Troy.

The post drew wider attention after Elon Musk reposted it with the comment, “True.”

Nyong’o is not the only cast member to face online backlash. Rapper Travis Scott and actor Elliot Page, who are also part of the film in undisclosed roles, have reportedly been subjected to racist and transphobic comments, respectively.

About the film

Scheduled for release on July 17, The Odyssey features Matt Damon as Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, and Anne Hathaway as his wife Penelope. The film is based on Homer’s epic poem and follows Odysseus on his journey home after the Trojan War. The cast also includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and Charlize Theron.

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