In Christopher Nolan’s ambitious, big-budget film adaptation of The Odyssey, set for release in July, Lupita Nyong’o plays Helen of Troy alongside a stellar cast that includes Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Zendaya.
Speaking to Elle magazine, the Oscar-winning actress made clear that she does not approach the role through the lens of physical appearance, stating simply: “You can’t perform beauty.”
In the interview she was asked to address the criticism her casting has drawn, with figures like Elon Musk publicly questioning the decision to cast a Black actress in the mythological role. Musk had explicitly accused Nolan of casting the film with awards in mind.
Elon Musk: “Nolan’s Odyssey Is Disgracing Greece”
Musk had previously written that Nolan “dishonors Homer’s grave” and that it was “shameful,” responding to a Variety piece on the controversy surrounding the director’s casting choices. In a follow-up comment he wrote that Nolan “is brutally insulting the Greeks. Shame on him.”
The controversy was initially sparked by conservative commentator Matt Walsh, who wrote that “nobody in the world actually believes Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world'” and that Nolan “knows he’d be called a racist if he gave the role to a white woman.” Musk responded that the claim was true.
Nyong’o: “You Can’t Perform Beauty”
“This is mythology,” Nyong’o said in response, adding: “I fully support Chris’s intention in what he’s creating and his own version of the story. Our cast represents the world. I don’t spend my time thinking about how to defend it. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not.”
In a second statement she elaborated: “It’s something really special to be part of The Odyssey, because it is so grand. It spans worlds. That’s why the cast is the way it is. We are inhabiting the epic storytelling of our time.”
On the subject of Helen’s legendary beauty, Nyong’o explained that her interpretation of the character goes much deeper. “You can’t perform beauty. I want to know who a character is. What lies beyond beauty? What lies beyond appearance? That’s the challenge when you’re working on such a well-known text that has been studied, interpreted, and used as a source for other works. The research could be endless. The good thing about working with a writer like Chris is that everything is on the page. The exploration starts from the pages you’re given. That’s what I grounded myself in.”
She also added: “I can’t spend my time thinking about all those who don’t believe in me yet. You find those who do believe in you and you move forward. I want to believe I am built to endure.”
Nolan, for his part, told Elle that Nyong’o was his choice for Helen from the very beginning. For the director, the role required not just beauty, but strength, self-possession, and depth, qualities he said Nyong’o brings with an effortless command of emotional complexity.
The Odyssey, with a reported budget of around $250 million, opens on July 17.
