Woman Crush Wednesday: Lupita Nyong’o, A Brave Actress And Activist, On-Screen And Off

No one wants to talk about a damn thing this week that isn’t centered on Black Panther, and why would they? So while we are loving each and every single one of the strong, amazing women in the film, we’re taking today to give an extra shoutout to Lupita Nyong’o, our Woman Crush Wednesday.

WHO’S THAT GAL: Lupita Nyong’o

WHY WE’RE CRUSHING: Of course the role of Nakia in Black Panther had to go to someone totally fearless, with the ability to be smart and savvy and just a little bit coy when necessary. But don’t get it twisted, Nakia is no ordinary love interest. First and foremost she is her own woman with her own thoughts and her own plan, and that’s exactly why Lupita was the perfect casting choice.

The Kenyan actress has been starring in mainstream projects for just about five years now, but she’s already made such an incredible impact. From choosing important roles to appearing on the cover of magazines to standing up for human rights and animal rights, Lupita is more than just an actress and activist.

In fact, this past fall, she boldly and bravely published an op-ed in the New York Times detailing her scary interactions with Harvey Weinstein, proving that she’s a female leader on and off-screen.

WHERE YOU’VE SEEN HER BEFORE: Lupita burst onto the scene in 2013’s 12 Years A Slave, just after she had graduated from Yale School of Drama, and her career has only continued to get more impressive by the day. For her performances as Patsey, Lupita earned a SAG award and Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, and was also nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award.

From there, she appeared in Non-Stop with Liam Neeson, provided the voice for Raksha in 2016’s The Jungle Book, and also starred in Queen of Katwe. Perhaps you also caught her (with a bit of CGI assistance) as Maz Kanata in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi? Because she’s there! Lupita also took the Broadway stage to appear in Eclipsed, a play written by none other than Danai Gurira.

You can currently see Lupita as Nakia in Black Panther (and you should, many, many times).

WHERE YOU’LL SEE HER AGAIN: We’re excited that she’ll be in the horror comedy Little Monsters with Josh Gad, out later this year. Plus, she’s developing a TV show and writing a book. But really, what we’re all still waiting for? That buddy comedy with Rihanna! We haven’t forgotten, the internet won’t forget, and we WILL be sure to make it happen.

Where to watch 12 Years A Slave