Lupita Nyong’o has firmly responded to criticism surrounding her role in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey. The Oscar-winning actress, aged 43, found herself at the center of controversy following her casting as Helen of Troy, particularly drawing attention from tech mogul Elon Musk.
Nyong’o took a stand against the backlash, addressing the criticisms related to her portraying a character often dubbed ‘the most beautiful woman in the world.’ She defended her role and the casting decision, emphasizing the creative interpretation involved in bringing this legendary character to life.
In an interview featured in Elle on Thursday, Nyong’o highlighted a critical point: Homer’s epic is a work of mythology, not a historical record. This reminder serves as a rebuttal to those questioning the authenticity of her casting.
Elon Musk also faced criticism for his comments on the casting of trans actor Elliot Page in the same film. Despite the uproar, notable figures such as Jimmy Kimmel and Alec Baldwin have stepped forward to support the actors and director Nolan, championing the creative choices made for the film.
The Tesla CEO also came under fire for criticizing the casting of trans actor Elliot Page in The Odyssey.
However, Jimmy Kimmel and Alec Baldwin were two stars who came to the actors’ and the filmmaker’s defense.
Lupita Nyong’o defended her casting and her performance in The Odyssey amid backlash against director Christopher Nolan; pictured in November 2025
She responded to harsh criticism over her appearance after Nolan casted her as Helen of Troy, ‘the most beautiful woman in the world,’ in his forthcoming epic
‘You can’t perform beauty,’ she told the outlet. ‘I want to know who a character is.’
She continued: ‘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.
‘Research could be endless. The good thing about working with a writer like Chris is that it’s on the page,’ she said about working with the acclaimed director.
‘The investigation starts with the pages you’re given. That’s what I based it on,’ she added.
‘I’m very supportive of Chris’s intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling,’ she said.
‘She noted that the cast is representative of the world,’ she added.
‘I’m not spending my time thinking of a defense,’ she continued. ‘The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not.’
Elsewhere in the interview, she said: ‘It’s quite something to be a part of The Odyssey, because it is so grand. It spans worlds. So that’s why the cast is what it is. We’re occupying the epic narrative of our time.’
She reminded readers and moviegoers that Homer’s epic ‘is a mythological story’ rather than a historical account in an Elle profile published on Thursday
She said she is ‘very supportive of Chris’s intention,’ and Nolan also doubled down on his decision to cast the Oscar winner in the leading role; pictured in March 2024
He praised her ‘strength and the poise’ as well as her ‘discipline and training’ to portray the mythological character the way he envisioned; pictured in October 2024
Nolan also defended his decision and told Elle magazine: ‘The strength and the poise were so important to the character of Helen. And Lupita makes it look effortless.’
He continued: ‘I’m sure there’s a tremendous amount of discipline and training that goes into projecting that kind of poise and feeling the emotion bubbling beneath the character, the layers of the character right there underneath.
‘She’s just an incredible person to work with, and I was absolutely desperate for her to do the part,’ he added.
Earlier this year, Musk took to X, formerly Twitter, to slam the choice to cast Nyong’o as both Helen of Troy and Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, in The Odyssey.
In January, he tweeted that the filmmaker had ‘lost his integrity.’
Earlier this month, Musk responded to an X user’s suggestion that Nolan is a director ‘so keen to race swap white characters’ because the Academy Awards implemented diversity requirements.
Musk retweeted the conservative commentator’s post and claimed Nolan ‘wants the awards.’
Baldwin wrote back on Instagram: ‘Dear Elon… but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world…Alec.’
Kimmel also fired back at Musk’s comments in his monologue on his late night talk show and told him to ‘stay in [his] lane.’
