Lupita Nyong’o recently talked about her identity, ethnicity, and sacrificing her Kenyan accent in her new podcast, “Mind Your Own.” Nyong’o, born in Mexico and grew up in Nairobi before moving to the United States, revealed she let go of her Kenyan accent while pursuing acting at the Yale School of Drama. She further highlighted that to create this podcast, she had to “get very comfortable with” her accent and identity.
Lupita Nyong’o on losing Kenyan accent: ‘I had ridden myself of myself’
In the debut episode of “Mind Your Own,” Lupita Nyong’o discusses the “complicated relationship” she has had with her accent. She is now opening up in an attempt to accept her true Kenyan identity. Nyong’o thinks that after spending two decades in America, she had to “get very comfortable with my voice” to amplify the purpose of her podcast. The 41-year-old revealed in the podcast that she “had ridden” her accent and true identity to adopt an American voice.
The “Black Panther” actress claimed she welcomed her true identity, voice, and accent while attending Hampshire College in Massachusetts. However, it wasn’t the same after she enrolled in the Yale School of Drama to pursue acting. Nyong’o spoke about a pact she made with herself “that I would learn how to sound American.” She believed this would “guarantee me a career in acting.” The actress further explained that she “didn’t know” many stars with an accent like hers.
Lupita Nyong’o disclosed that she took voice lessons to sound more American. However, this compelled her to sacrifice her accent, ethnicity, and identity in a way. She eventually realized the effectiveness of these lessons when a casting director, who was shocked about her Kenyan origins, told her, “‘Oh my goodness, you don’t have an accent.’ And I was at once so elated and also so crushed. I had ridden myself of myself, kind of,” said the Oscar-winner.
Nyong’o recalled a 2014 instance just before the press tour for “12 Years a Slave,” which was her debut film. The fresh Yale graduate claimed she called her publicists and expressed her intention to “return to my original accent.” She elaborated that her plan was “to send a message that being an African is enough” because “they had never heard me speak in a Kenyan accent.” The actress recalled that her mother, who supported the decision, had said, “Your accent is representative of your life experience.”
Lupita Nyong’o had realized that “an accent comes to being from your life… and just like skin and hair, it can change and it’s okay.” She then added, “I guess this accent is called Lupita! I don’t know who could claim it but me.” Besides using her Kenyan accent to voice characters in hit blockbusters, Nyong’o has also narrated documentaries since then.
