Nyong’o & Christie join cast
Lupita Nyong’o & Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) join the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, commented on the casting choice:
I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII. It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.
The roles the actresses will play have not yet been announced.
Lupita Nyong’o born in Mexico City
Lupita Amondi Nyong’o is born in Mexico City, Mexico. Her father is Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, a Kenyan Senate politican and her mother is Dorothy Nyong’o, Africa Cancer Foundation’s managing director. She has five siblings and is of Luo descent. The Luo tradition is to name a child after the events of the day, so her parents give her a Mexican name, Lupita (a diminutive of Our Lady of Guadalupe). As a child, Nyong’o is teased about her race.
I got teased and taunted about my skin; my one prayer to God was that I would wake up lighter skinned. The morning would come and I would be so excited about seeing my new skin that I would refuse to look down at myself until I was in front of the mirror because I wanted to see my face first. Every day I would feel the disappointment of being just as dark as the day before.