Los Angeles, Nov 24 (NationPress) The acclaimed actress Lupita Nyong’o, who gained fame for her Oscar-winning role in 12 Years a Slave, shared her reflections on her career trajectory after the prestigious award. Rather than receiving a diverse range of offers, she found herself being approached predominantly for similar roles.

“Winning the Academy Award was pivotal for my career. Surprisingly, after that win, one would expect offers for lead roles to come flooding in. Instead, the proposals I received were often along the lines of, ‘Lupita, how would you like to portray another character in a slave narrative, albeit this time on a slave ship?’” Nyong’o recounted during her interview with Grammy-winning artist Angélique Kidjo on CNN Inside Africa, as reported by deadline.com.

She described that period as “a very tender time,” noting the need to disregard sensational headlines that speculated about her Hollywood career.

“There were numerous think pieces questioning whether this was the dawn or demise of a dark-skinned Black African woman’s career. I had to tune out those theorists because, ultimately, I am not a theory; I am a living individual,” she expressed.

Born to Kenyan parents, Nyong’o emphasized her desire to expand the narrative surrounding African stories in the entertainment sector.

“I strive to be a joyful advocate for changing the perceptions of what it means to be African,” she elaborated. “If that means taking fewer roles to avoid reinforcing stereotypes associated with my continent, then I am more than willing to do so.”

Recently, she appeared in The Wild Robot and A Quiet Place: Day One. Her upcoming project includes Lunik Heist.