After weeks of online backlash, including remarks from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o finally addressed The Odyssey’s casting controversy. The criticism mainly revolves around her casting as Helen of Troy, who was described as a “white-armed” woman in Homer’s poem.
Lupita Nyong’o addresses The Odyssey casting backlash
During her interview with Elle, Lupita Nyong’o briefly spoke about the controversy surrounding her casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey.
“This is a mythological story,” the 12 Years of Slave actress defended. “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. I’m not spending my time thinking of a defense.”
The Black Panther actress went on to explain that criticism will exist regardless of whether anyone engages with it. She added that being part of The Odyssey is quite significant since it is “so grand.” Nyong’o believes that it “spans worlds,” and the film’s casting reflects the current world. “We’re occupying the epic narrative of our time,” she noted.
The criticism began after a trailer for The Odyssey hit the internet a couple of weeks ago. Many users criticized the casting choice of Helen of Troy. One user on X (formerly Twitter) alleged that Nolan cast the Us actress in the role to make the film eligible for the Oscars. Elon Musk responded to the post, writing, “He wants the awards,” seemingly backing up the user’s theory.
However, this is not the only theory he supports. Another user speculated that people would “riot in the street” if a “white woman” was called “the most beautiful woman in Africa” in a film based in Africa. To this, Musk replied, “Absolutely true. Such hypocrisy in Hollywood.”
Notably, the upcoming film is based on the ancient Greek poet Homer’s poem, Odyssey. While Homer didn’t describe Helen’s appearance in detail, the available translations portray her as “white-armed” and “lovely-haired” (via Greek Reporter).
The Odyssey debuted in theaters on July 17, 2026.
Originally reported by Harsha Panduranga on Mandatory.
