Lupita Nyong’o recently appeared on an episode of Hot Ones ahead of the release of “A Quiet Place: Day One.” As she tackled the infamous hot wings, she discussed her experiences making scary movies, acting opposite a cat, pitching Taylor Swift to clear “Shake It Off” for “Little Monsters,” breaking down Jay-Z‘s lyrics, and more.
Here are some highlights from the episode:
Playing a Silent Role in “A Quiet Place: Day One”
Nyong’o revealed the unique challenges and excitement of playing a silent role in “A Quiet Place: Day One.” She shared, “When you don’t have lines and everything is in the nuance of bodily and facial expression, you have to listen in every take in a way more like nuanced way, so it makes it more exciting actually. I found it very liberating.”
Overcoming Fear of Cats for the Film
The actress also expressed her fear of cats before taking on the film. “I was very afraid of cats before I took this film and it was one of the things that was holding me back from saying yes,” she confessed. Her role required her to overcome this fear, adding another layer of personal growth to her professional journey.
© Getty ImagesManaging Dual Roles in “Us”
Reflecting on her challenging performance in “Us,” where she played Adelaide and Red, Nyong’o described it as a “complete mindf-ck.” She elaborated, “They are the opposite. It was almost like a mathematical calculation building both characters. It was very, very difficult to keep the lines straight, and so it took a lot of very odd diagrams.”
Staying in Character as Red
Nyong’o also discussed the intensity of staying in character as Red throughout the filming day. “The vocal posture was very difficult to get into so what I would do is at the beginning of the day, I would warm up and get into my vocal posture and then I would hold that all day. It just so happened that me holding my vocal posture made everybody on set really nervous…they would just be so awkward around me and it was so entertaining.”
© Getty ImagesReaching Out to Taylor Swift for “Shake It Off” in “Little Monsters”
One of the episode’s standout moments was Nyong’o recounting how she contacted Taylor Swift to get clearance for “Shake It Off” in Little Monsters. “When they came and they told me ‘aw, no we can’t get the rights,’ I decided okay. I’m going to go, I’m going to make a pitch, I’m going to let Taylor know what this song means to me and I told her that story about how it lifted me from an almost depression and the next thing I knew, it was cleared.”
Adjusting to Public Life Post-Oscars
Winning an Oscar brought Nyong’o a new level of fame, which required significant adjustment. She shared, “Yes, it was odd and it was overwhelming and it took me some time to adjust to it. To be a public figure, they have a projection of who you are, it’s bestowed on you and you kind of participate…Code shifting is very much a part of being human and so I code shift into my public persona.”
Breaking Down Jay-Z’s Lyrics
“On My Nyong’o” In a fun segment, Nyong’o broke down Jay-Z’s lyric, “on my Nyong’o,” explaining, “It’s this, it’s this right here. It’s like they’re coming at you, they’re trying to pull you down but you’re winning. That’s what being on one’s Lupita Nyong’o is.”