In the Star Wars galaxy, appearances can certainly be deceiving, but with a multitude of performers hidden by prosthetics and pixels there can be few actors who look so different to their onscreen persona than Lupita N’yongo. The October edition focuses on Lupita – better known in the GFFA as Maz Kanata – and delves into her career.
Nyong’o could almost be describing her career, except for the accidental part. The year started with the premiere of Little Monsters, a comedic Australian-American-British zombie flick, went right into the smash success of Jordan Peele’s horror drama Us, in which she plays heroine Adelaide Wilson and her demonic doppelgänger Red, and will close out after she reprises her role as CGI alien Maz Kanata in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. In between, the Oscar winner will publish a children’s book, Sulwe, and she’s thisclose to starting shoots on a television series based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah, which she is producing, with her Black Panther costar Danai Gurira writing the script. So, Nyong’o radiates the energy of a girl next door, especially as she recalls how she role-modeled early fashion choices, but she also happens to be one of the most powerful Black women in film.
Great news that Lupita is back as Maz. Be sure to check out the issue for a fascinating read on an Oscar winning icon.
