In fact, it was that very treatment that led the Nyong’o family to flee to Mexico in 1983, where Lupita was born. However, in 1987, the Nyong’os would return to Kenya where they’d be forced into hiding, as the current Kenyan politician [Peter] attempted to establish an underground democratic party – placing a target on their backs once more.
As a young girl, the Hollywood A-lister along with her five brothers and sisters were forced to uproot their lives, bouncing from place to place, with her father often taken into police custody for weeks at a time. While in most cases, living under such distress would impair a child’s ability to perform, nonetheless thrive, Peter Nyong’o told The Daily Mail that he believed his daughter’s somewhat unstable upbringing provided her with the skill set needed to become a versatile actor – the ability to adapt.
Since making her mark in Hollywood, the resilient beauty has starred in countless blockbuster films including 12 Years a Slave, for which she won the Academy Award, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Jungle Book, and Marvel’s highly anticipated Black Panther, due to hit theaters in 2018. Then, there was that time she made history in 2016, with her upcoming show Eclipsed; Broadway’s first-ever production featuring both an all-Black and all-female cast and creative team.
If you ask us, Nyong’o’s story and that of her loved ones provides a timeless takeaway: while your environment may modify your life, it certainly does not govern your future.