Lupita Nyong'o on Co-Directing Her Scenes in THE ODYSSEY with Christopher Nolan
The actor also discussed her Make Fibroids Count campaign and played a Greek mythology game with Jimmy Fallon.
Lupita Nyong'o sat down with Jimmy Fallon on THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON to discuss her role in Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY, revealing that she plays two separate characters in the film and that Nolan gave her significant creative input on her scenes, to the point where she describes the process as co-directing. The extended clip also covers her advocacy work through Make Fibroids Count, a campaign she launched to raise awareness and push for greater recognition of fibroids as a serious health issue affecting women. The segment closes with Nyong'o and Fallon playing a Greek mythology-themed game.
THE ODYSSEY is Christopher Nolan's film adaptation drawing from the ancient Greek epic. Nyong'o's dual-character role places her among a large ensemble cast that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal, all of whom appeared together on THE TONIGHT SHOW for a segment recapping the film's plot in one minute.
Nyong'o's description of her working relationship with Nolan is among the more specific accounts any cast member has offered publicly about the production's on-set dynamic. Her comments suggest a degree of actor-driven collaboration that is relatively unusual for a large-scale studio film, particularly in shaping scenes that involve a single performer portraying two distinct roles.
Zendaya also recently visited THE TONIGHT SHOW in connection with THE ODYSSEY, discussing how Tom Holland told her that Nolan wanted her for the project, adding further context to the film's ensemble casting process.