She began her film career working on acclaimed productions like The Constant Gardener (2005) and The Namesake (2006), then made her acting debut in the Kenyan TV drama Shuga (2009) and directed the award-winning documentary In My Genes (2009) . Her breakout came when she was cast as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave (2013), earning her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

2. Hollywood Leading Lady & Broadway Star (2014–2019): Following her Oscar win, Lupita starred in major franchises including Non‑Stop (2014), the Star Wars sequels as Maz Kanata, and played Nakia in Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) . She also made her Broadway debut with the play Eclipsed in 2016, earning critical acclaim and a Tony nomination

3. Creative Expansion & Advocacy (2019–Present): Lupita diversified into voice acting (Jungle Book, A Quiet Place: Day One), starred in horror hit Us (2019) for which she received award nominations , launched her New York Times bestselling children’s book Sulwe (2019) , and continues to champion diversity, representation, and African storytelling in her roles and public engagements