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Lupita Nyong'o says she 'co-directed' a scene in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey

moviesJul 18, 2026421,020

On The Tonight Show Lupita Nyong'o said Christopher Nolan asked her to assign tasks to background actors, and she realized she had effectively co-directed a scene in The Odyssey. The moment occurred during a sequence in which Agamemnon returns home and undergoes a bathing ritual while Nyong'o played Clytemnestra; Nolan asked, "Lupita, will you give the background actors their tasks?" Nyong'o gathered the background performers, assigned their movements based on her preparation for Clytemnestra, watched their work while performing, and offered notes when adjustments were needed. She also appears in the film as Helen of Troy, a casting choice that prompted online criticism she has previously addressed by focusing on the character rather than defending the casting. The Odyssey opened in theaters and IMAX on July 17. Nyong'o's account highlights how Nolan drew on an actor's character work to shape the scene around that performance.

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