Lupita Nyong’o shares why she was told she couldn’t work on TV

Despiste being the household name that she is with movies like 12 Years A Slave and Black Panter, actress Lupita Nyong’o has felt her fair share of disappoints during the addition process. Countless actresses have spoken out about how they have faced hardships during the audition process and now Lupita has shared one of those such incidents. During an interview with BBC’s Newsnight anchor Emily Maitlis, the Academy Award-Winning actress referenced a particular moment that has stayed with her years after it occurred.

Despite being the household name that she is with movies like 12 Years A Slave and Black Panther, actress  Lupita Nyong’o  has felt her fair share of disappoints during the audition process. Countless actresses have spoken out about how they have faced hardships during the audition process, and now Lupita has shared one of those such incidents. During an interview with BBC’s Newsnight anchor Emily Maitlis, the Academy Award-winning actress referenced a particular moment that has stayed with her years after it occurred.

© Getty Images

In the interview Lupita details “I once auditioned for something on TV and I was told I was too dark to be on television.” This was prompted by a discussion with Emily about prejudice she encountered while out on a TV audition as well as her experiences with colourism while growing up in Kenya. The actress also shared how as a young girl, she was made very aware of how she looked.

The actress also shared how her sister was praised for her lighter skin and revealed “I had a younger sister who was born five years after me and she was a lot lighter and she got called pretty and beautiful and all of that.”

She continued on by stating “I definitely grew up feeling uncomfortable with my skin colour because I felt like the world around me awarded lighter skin.” Newsnight anchor went on to ask her whether she felt that the Marvel film Black Panther helped alter the face of the auditioning process. Lupita shared “I think time will tell whether this has been that pivotal shift. It definitely feels that way.”