Lupita Nyongomade a sacrifice early in her career.
One area of performing that she recognized as particularly underdeveloped was her accent work.
But diving into that learning process meant getting rid of the Kenyan accent she grew up with.
(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. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/WireImage for Parkwood)WireImage for Parkwood
I didnt know how to sound any other way than myself, Nyongo shared on the podcastWhat Now?
That was the first permission that I gave myself.
But it was full of heartbreak and grief.
It was an undertaking that she took beyond the classroom to double-check that it stuck.
I cried many nights to sleep.
Many, many nights.
When she would call home to her family, she would speak to them in her sharpened American accent.
There were moments when I wanted to give up, but I had this goal, she explained.
I wanted to be able to succeed in an American market as an actor.
But the actress found solace in family and friends who supported her creative journey.
She remembered her mother telling her: The way you sound is a product of your life experience.
I wouldnt be able to do Black Panther and try my hand at Xhosa, Nyongo said.
So the training at Yale was not just about sounding American.
I had spent my life watching American TV and film, listening to American music and all that.
But still, moving here, it felt alien to me.
America isnt exactly like you see on those things.
I was in a class, and a teacher mentionedThis American Life.
It really expands your understanding of what it means to be American, one story at a time.
