Lupita Nyong'o is perhaps one of the most prominent African American actresses of our time. Many people know her as either Nakia from "Black Panther," the voice of Maz Kanata from the Disney Star Wars sequels, or Miss Audrey Carline in "Little Monsters."
As such, she has been nominated for and received many awards for her performances over the years, including for the role of Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress.
Here are some of the movies you have to stream to celebrate her 40th birthday, which falls on March 1:
'12 Years A Slave' - Netflix
"12 Years A Slave" is a 2013 biographical drama movie that tells the story of Solomon Northup, a free African American from upstate New York kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South before the American Civil War.
In this film, Nyong'o plays the role of Patsey, one of the African American slaves Northup meets during his captivity in the South. Unfortunately, Patsey's life during her enslavement is difficult, to say the least, with Nyong'o showing the character's pain and grief well for the big screen - a worthy effort for her first movie that didn't go unrecognized.
Nyong'o won an oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Patsey in the movie, per IMDb.
'Non-Stop' - Netflix
"Non Stop" is a 2014 action thriller film that puts the audience in the shoes of grieving protagonist Bill Marks, played by Liam Neeson, as he navigates a potentially fatal hostage situation as an air marshal during a trans-Atlantic flight.
In this movie, Nyong'o plays the role of Gwen, one of the flight attendants of the ill-fated flight.
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'Queen of Katwe' - Disney+
Much like "12 Years a Slave," "Queen of Katwe" is a 2016 biographical drama from Walt Disney Studios that tells the story of Phiona, a Ugandan that saw her world change when she learned how to play class, providing her with an opportunity to escape from a life of poverty in Uganda.
Nyong'o plays the role of Phiona's mother, Nakku Harriet, who is reluctant and even skeptical of the road Phiona found, but eventually supports her wishes to study and join her school's chess team.
Nyong'o's performance in the film earned her nominations for various awards such as Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role and the UK's 2017 National Film Awards for Best Actress, per African publication The Cable Lifestyle and the National Film Awards.
'Black Panther' - Disney+
Perhaps one of the most prominent movies Nyong'o was cast in, Marvel's "Black Panther" tells the story of T'Challa as he struggles to prove his mettle as king of Wakanda and as "Black Panther", the superhero that protects his people using his superhuman abilities.
Nyong'o plays the role of Nakia, T'Challa's ex-lover who saves her king through her efforts and fights with him to win back his throne from dissenters.
Nyong'o was nominated for many awards for her performance as Nakia, with her being put forward for Best Actress in the 2018 BET Awards and Outstanding Supporting Actress in the 2019 Black Reel Awards, per Kenya's The Star and Ace Showbiz.
'The 355' - Netflix
"The 355" is a 2022 American action spy thriller film that tells the story of a group made up of some of the world's elite international agents on a mission to retrieve a top-secret weapon while staying ahead of a mysterious woman who's been tracking their every move.
Nyong'o plays retired MI6 operative Khadijah Adiyeme, a longtime friend of the protagonist, a CIA operative named Mason Brown.
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