2014-2015 has been very good to Lupita Nyong’o as it’s been filled with career achievement after career achievement!
After winning an Oscar for her breakout film 12 Years A Slave, Nyongo’o signed on for Star Wars.
At last week’s Disney’s D23 Expo, the actress talked to EW and People about her involvement in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in which she plays pirate Maz Kanata. “To be able to have that experience and the continuation of Han Solo, and Luke, and Leia’s journey is really a blessing, to be able to play a small part in that,” she said.
Star Wars marks the start of Nyong’o’s three-film run with Disney. She’s also set to star in the live-action remake of The Jungle Book as Raksha, the lupine maternal figure to Mowgli. “I really enjoy that process, playing a mother of this boy,” she said. “Just the love between a human and a wolf was something really cool to explore.”
That’s not the only parental role she’s expected to play. The actress will also play the mother of a prodigal African chess player in Queen of Katwe, based on the true story and about Phiona Mutesi.“It’s a really magical — and real — story about a girl who had a dream to be a chess master,” Nyong’o said, “and through hard work and just complete commitment to it, she went against all odds and achieved that.”
Watch the clip with Nyong’o above.
