Lupita Nyong'o began performing as a teenager in Kenya before working behind the scenes on the film The Constant Gardener. She starred in the TV series Shuga and directed and produced the albinism documentary In My Genes. Nyong'o went on to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave (2013). She appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the Off-Broadway production Eclipsed the following year. The actress also appeared heavily in the blockbuster superhero film Black Panther (2018).
Nyong'o was born in Mexico City in 1983. Her parents, Dorothy and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, were living in political exile at the time of her birth but were able to return to Kenya during her youth. Her father later became a member of the country's senate, while her mother, who worked in family planning, became a leader with the Africa Cancer Foundation.