- Lupita Nyong’o is one of Hollywood's best
- She has opened up on doing press tours
- THIS is how she feels inside
In a refreshingly honest interview with 'Glamour' magazine, the star shares her irritation with repetitive questions and the pressure of perfection. Dive into the details of why Nyong’o and other stars like Cillian Murphy are calling for a change in Hollywood’s promotional playbook.
Lupita doesn't like it
Hollywood’s glittering star, Lupita Nyong’o, is on a whirlwind global press tour for her latest spine-chiller, 'A Quiet Place: Day One.' But if you think she’s living the dream, think again! Nyong’o recently got real with about the not-so-glamorous side of movie promotions: the dreaded press junkets.
Her '12 Years a Slave' part was the very first feature film role that Lupita Nyong’o landed, and she won an Oscar for it. The actress had just graduated from the Yale School of Drama and now admits she was totally unprepared for overnight fame.
"We were prepared to be extras and little guest stars on TV shows before we would have our chance at any substantial role in the thing that we love to do," Nyong’o tells 'Glamour' magazine of school. "But it did not at all prepare us for instant success. And that is an overwhelming experience."
Most newly-famous actors complain about paparazzi or intrusive gossip. But when asked for specifics Nyong’o seems more annoyed by another right of passage: "interviews."
"You asked. I have to be honest. I’m going to tell you," Nyong’o didn't hold back when asked about her least favorite part of being an actor. It turns out; she finds press junkets to be nothing short of a "torture technique." Imagine being bombarded with the same questions, over and over, each time having to conjure up the enthusiasm as if it were the first. Sounds exhausting, right?
"You have to give each one of them attention, focus and an articulate answer that you just gave to the person before. That’s irritating." Nyong’o reminisced about her early career days when the pressure to be "perfect" was overwhelming. Nowadays, she embraces her humanity, allowing herself to be less than 100% sometimes.
"These days I allow myself to be a human being," she shared, highlighting her journey towards self-forgiveness for not meeting perfection.
Interestingly, Nyong’o isn’t the only star to voice frustration over the traditional press tour model. Cillian Murphy, recent Oscar winner, echoed her sentiments in a GQ magazine interview. "It’s a broken model," he declared, criticizing the outdated system that leaves everyone so bored.
Murphy, known for his roles in 'Peaky Blinders' and 'Oppenheimer,' also highlighted the absurdity of personal questions that detract from the art of filmmaking.
"It’s like Joanne Woodward said," Murphy added. "‘Acting is like sex — do it, don’t talk about it’ … People always used to say to me, ‘He has reservations’ or ‘He’s a difficult interviewee.’ Not really! I love talking about work, about art. What I struggle with, and find unnecessary, and unhelpful about what I want to do, is: ‘Tell me about yourself…’".
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Despite the press tour blues, Nyong’o shines in her role as Sam in 'A Quiet Place: Day One.' The film, a prequel to John Krasinski’s horror hit, sees her character navigating a day trip turned nightmare in New York City amidst an alien invasion.
Directed by 'Pig' filmmaker Michael Sarnoski, the movie promises to be a thrilling addition to the franchise, hitting theaters on June 28.
