The Elegance of Lupita Nyong'o

      Lupita Nyong'o arrives for lunch at Sukh, her favorite Thai restaurant in Brooklyn, dressed incognito with dark sunglasses and a black pashmina draped around her head like an Old Hollywood starlet. However, when the Oscar-winning actress removes her scarf and shades, her disguise is no more. In a denim micromini, white oxford shirt, and beaded necklaces from her home country of Kenya, Nyong'o is undeniably the most stunning woman in the world. This month, she takes on the role of Helen of Troy, the legendary beauty who "launched a thousand ships," in Director Christopher Nolan's highly awaited and mysterious summer blockbuster adaptation of The Odyssey. As one of the most powerful directors in the industry, Nolan creates films that are considered Cultural Events, not just cinematic releases. (Remember "Barbenheimer?") Nyong'o is part of an impressive cast that includes Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and more. Tickets for the opening weekend are mostly sold out, some purchased an entire year ahead of time.

      Yet on a Tuesday in June when we meet, Nyong'o is not caught up in the excitement surrounding The Odyssey. "To be honest, I haven't been in New York," she mentions shortly after taking a seat, with only waters and menus on the table. "I've actually been recovering from surgery, spending time in nature and taking care of myself." Last May, Nyong'o underwent her second myomectomy, a significant procedure to remove over 50 fibroids—noncancerous tumors—in the lining of her uterus. Her first myomectomy was performed after she was diagnosed with fibroids in 2014, the same year she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her breakout performance in 12 Years a Slave. Last year, Nyong'o opened up publicly for the first time about her struggle with fibroids: enduring "seasons of constant pain" and heavy, prolonged periods where she lost "dangerous amounts of blood each month." Earlier this year, she revealed that her fibroids had returned. The surgery is still "very fresh," she says, indicating she isn't ready to discuss it yet. First, she suggests, "let's warm up."

      Many women find it challenging to accept a simple compliment, but Nyong'o is not like most. When I inquire about how she feels being cast as one of the most beautiful women of all time, she responds with a heartfelt "Really well." Nyong'o chuckles slightly, but there’s sincerity in her words: "No, I really do love this for me." In our cozy booth, Nyong'o fully embodies the role. "Listen. I’m not going to be upset about anyone calling me beautiful," she expresses. "I grew up feeling a bit like an ugly duckling." She references her 2019 children's book, Sulwe, which was inspired by her experiences with colorism: "It required significant conscious effort to overcome my insecurities and free myself from the discrimination based on my skin color."

      Regal and striking beauty is interwoven with Nyong'o's public persona: as Nakia, the warrior and love interest of the late Chadwick Boseman's King T'Challa in Black Panther; as the first Black ambassador for Lancôme; and as a face for Chanel. Nyong'o notes that the "jarring" attention began when she moved back to Mexico, her birthplace, at 16 to study Spanish: "I thought, 'Wait a minute. I stand out here. I am different enough that people view it as beauty.'" At 43, Nyong'o speaks with the steady conviction of a woman who has faced challenges. "When people compliment me now," she adds, "I embrace it."

      Early discussions about The Odyssey have primarily focused on Helen, but it has been overlooked that Nyong'o also portrays her sister, Clytemnestra, the anguished queen who avenges her daughter's death by killing her husband, Agamemnon (Benny Safdie). This is a character Nyong'o first played during her studies at the Yale School of Drama in a class on The Greeks. "Her story is so tragic," she says. "It's hard to forget." In some adaptations of The Odyssey, including Nolan's, Nyong'o reveals, Helen and Clytemnestra are twins. She enthusiastically accepted the opportunity to play the more renowned sister during her initial meeting with Nolan. ("I never thought I'd be offered the chance to play Helen of Troy.") When Nolan also proposed Clytemnestra, Nyong'o said she was almost toppled off her creaky chair but felt reassured by her previous experience portraying doppelgängers in Jordan Peele's psychological thriller Us. "I had the assurance that I had played two roles before," she