All About Lupita Nyong’o’s Parents, Anyang’ and Dorothy Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o owes her love of art to her parents, Anyang’o and Dorothy Nyong’o.

The couple raised their five children in Kenya, where going to the theater was a weekly activity and listening to their father recite Shakespeare in the car was routine. Although actresses at heart, Anyang’ and Dorothy have built careers in the humanitarian space, namely working in politics and philanthropy — areas that Lupita continues to explore in her own work with nonprofits.

Lupita’s father was a visiting professor in Mexico City when Black panther a star is born. The family returned to Kenya about a year later, where Lupita grew up with her parents as sources of inspiration.

“I definitely feel lucky to have such strong role models in my immediate family,” Lupita said in an interview with The Talks in 2022. “My parents raised us to do whatever we set our minds to. They didn’t necessarily limit us by gender or age.”

From supporting her acting career to raising a family of five, here’s everything you need to know about Lupita Nyong’o’s parents, Anyang’u and Dorothy Nyong’o.

They deal with politics and philanthropy

Lupita Nyong’o and her mom Dorothy Nyong’o.

Lupita Nyong’o’s Instagram

Early in his career, Anyang’, whose full name is Peter Anyang’, was a professor at the University of Nairobi, where he taught courses in political science and acted as visiting professor at other institutions. In the early 80s, he was invited to help found a center for African studies at El Colegio de Mexico in Mexico City, where Lupita was born.

He then began a career in politics in the early 2000s, serving as the Minister of Medical Services in the Government of Kenya and Minister of Planning and National Development. By 2013, Anyang’ became a member of the Kenyan Senate, representing Kisumu County. Four years later, in December 2017, he was elected county governor and still holds that role.

As for Lupita’s mother, Dorothy, she currently works as a trustee of the African Cancer Foundation and is also the director of her own communications company, 7th Sense Communications Limited. Dorothy also acts as the First Lady of Kisumu County alongside her husband.

They share five children

Lupita Nyong’o and her siblings Zawadi, Fiona, Esperanza and Peter.

Lupita Nyong’o/X

Anyang’ and Dorothy raised a large family and welcomed five children into their lives — four girls and one boy. Their eldest, Zawadi, is a yoga practitioner and meditation expert who founded her own African yoga-inspired social enterprise ZeroByZawadi in Kenya. Lupita is the second oldest of the group, followed by her younger sisters, Fiona and Esperanza, and younger brother, Peter Junior, who is also an actor.

Back in 2014, Peter Junior, who goes by the professional name Junior, went viral for being part of Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars selfie of him smiling next to Bradley Cooper while Lupita peeked out behind him. In an interview with DeGeneres after the Oscars, Lupita opened up about her brother’s viral moment. “He lives life in an exclamation point, and he just saw this opportunity and said ‘I’m in, this is my only chance!’ ” she said.

Lupita often posts TikToks and pictures with her siblings on social media, and even shared a sweet photo of them all together to celebrate National Siblings Day 2022. “My siblings. All grown up, full of cheese and full of love,” she said wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Happy #NationalSiblingsDay.”

They have supported Lupita’s love for acting since childhood

Lupita Nyong’o and her mom Dorothy Nyong’o.

Lupita Nyong’o’s Instagram

The Oscar-winning actress’ love for the craft began in her youth in Kenya, and she often credits her parents for opening her up to the world. In an interview with S. in 2014 USA TodayLupita shed light on her artistic upbringing, saying her father acted in high school and often read Shakespeare to her growing up.

According to Lupita, the family “always went to the theater” and their get-togethers at home usually involved getting all the kids together to put on a show for fun. Lupita’s love of acting didn’t go unnoticed by her father, who reflected on his daughter’s early talent in a 2014 NPR interview.

“I remember that in kindergarten, when she was 5 years old, we went to parents’ day, and she led a bunch of children on stage, sang and entertained the parents,” he recalled. “Then she came on stage singing that Swahili song… and she just did wonders. That’s when we realized that this child was waiting for something.”

Her parents ultimately supported her pursuing theater as a career. “Everything from [my children] I kind of got really into art because I was a literature, political science, and philosophy student myself in college,” Anyang’ explained to NPR. “And somehow I didn’t see the need to steer a child into a particular career.”

They named her Lupita in honor of her birthplace

Dorothy Nyong’o, Lupita Nyong’o and Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o at the World Premiere of Disney’s ‘A Queen of Katwe’ at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Much like her dual citizenship in Kenya and Mexico, Lupita’s name is also a blend in honor of both cultures. Her family is from the Luo ethnic group, where the tradition is to name a child after the events that happened on the day surrounding their birth. When Lupita was born in Mexico, her parents decided to honor her birthplace by giving her a name that is a diminutive of the patron saint of Mexicans, Guadalupe.

Lupita’s name also pays homage to her father by combining his name, Peter, with the verb “to follow.”

“My father’s name is Peter, and in our language ‘luo’ means ‘to follow’. So [my parents] I thought it was a cool pun on ‘I followed Peter to Mexico,’” Lupita explained of her creative name in a 2014 interview with The Daily Beast.

Anyang’ was targeted for political activism

Lupita Nyong’o and Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o at the Governor’s Ball after the 86th Academy Awards on March 2, 2014.

VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty

Although Lupita usually recalls the more positive aspects of her upbringing, the Nyong’os have not shied away from sharing details related to the political oppression that directly affected their family. Her father’s brother, Charles Nyong’o, was a prominent student activist who opposed the regime of then Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi. He mysteriously disappeared in 1980, prompting Anyang to flee to Mexico for the safety of his family.

“My brother disappeared in 1980. It was a very difficult time politically. We never found his body and it was never solved who was behind the murder,” Anyang’ said in a 2014 interview. The Independent. “Even now, no information has come to light. I know he was on the ferry in Mombasa and the witnesses I was able to speak to clearly told me that it was not an accident and that he was attacked and pushed off the ferry. But the witnesses were too terrified to testify to the police.”

When the Nyong’os returned to Kenya, Anyang’ was subjected to harassment and arrest, forcing the family to hide in safe houses. “It was a very uncertain time. We were moving from one place to another, which was not good for Lupita and Peter Junior,” recalled Anyang’ The Independent.

“They came to me monthly and weekly. It depends on the period. … For me it was mostly mental, although for others it was physical,” he said. “You couldn’t wash yourself for days, you were mistreated, you were threatened, you couldn’t sleep and it becomes unbearable.”

In conversation with Trevor Noah for 2016 The New York Times, Lupita reflected on that period of unrest in her childhood. “My parents protected us from a lot,” she began. “It would be dangerous for us to know things because then we could be a target. So they raised us with a semblance of normality. There were times when we were under house arrest and could not go to school. I knew we were in a different situation than my friends.”

However, her mother was adamant about keeping things as normal as possible in their home. “Even when things weren’t right, my mother ran the house like she always did,” Lupita said. “You were in the bath at 6, you were in bed at 7. I remember my father was away for a long time when he was detained without trial. But I was optimistic enough to stick to my mother’s words: ‘He’ll be back.’ I shouldn’t have leaned into it.”

They support Lupita on red carpets

Lupita Nyong’o and her mother Dorothy Nyong’o at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards on March 1, 2014 in Santa Monica, California.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

From movie premieres to award shows, Lupita’s parents are no strangers to supporting their daughter on the red carpet. The couple, especially Dorothy, have attended numerous events with their daughter, including the 2014 BAFTA Awards and the 2018 world premiere of the film. Black panther, where Lupita also participated in the design of her mother’s dress for the evening.

Dorothy even pulled out all the stops for the premiere of Jordan Peele’s movie Our 2019, despite not being a horror fan. “I’m happy she was there, I assure you it’s not my favorite movie,” Lupita told PEOPLE in 2019. “But she supported me until the day she died. He will sit, despite not having the spine to do so. Things like that warm my heart because I know she’s my number one fan whether she can handle my craziness or not.”

Anyang’ and Dorothy also watched their daughter take home a statue at the 2014 Academy Awards, where she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work in 12 years of slavery.

“As a parent, you’re amazed at how wise the little ones have become, and we were almost in tears when we heard those words of wisdom,” Anyang’ told NPR at the time, referring to Lupita’s acceptance speech. ceremony. “It was a wonderful evening.”

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Source: HIS Education