Actress Lupita Nyong’o has told people who have criticised her casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey to remember that “this is a mythological story”.
The Oscar winner will play Helen, whose beauty famously “launched a thousand ships” and resulted in the Trojan war, according to Homer’s ancient Greek legend.
But her casting has now sparked a culture war too, with critics including Elon Musk claiming it’s wrong to cast a black actress as the character in Nolan’s hotly anticipated movie.
Speaking to Elle, Nyong’o responded: “I’m very supportive of Chris’s intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling. Our cast is representative of the world.”
She added: “I’m not spending my time thinking of a defence. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not.”
Nyong’o also told the outlet: “It’s quite something to be a part of The Odyssey, because it is so grand. It spans worlds. So that’s why the cast is what it is. We’re occupying the epic narrative of our time.”
