Lupita Nyong'o Co-Directed with Christopher Nolan for Her Scenes in The Odyssey (Extended)

Welcome back and welcome back to New York City. You're spending more time now in the city, right? Yes, I am. I moved back from LA and yeah I'm spending time in the city doing as much as I can. Is your cat Yo-Yo still with you? Yo-Yo is very much still with me. He's not so excited about being in New York. Oh interesting He gives me side-eye every morning like We used to have it better than this You actually brought us video of you driving upstate with Yo-Yo. Yeah, look at this there I try and get him out of the city and let him run around because you know, he had way more space in it Oh, yeah, it's gonna be great. I mean, but you you have you have the odyssey coming out You're gonna be in a play in September. Yes here in the city. Yes. Can I wait you come back on the show? Please talk about that. Oh, yes, and you're doing a lot of advocacy Yeah, so I've been pretty open about my experience with fibroid uterine fibroids and they affect 80% of women and Yet, there's very little research about them. So earlier this year. I Launched a campaign called make fibroids count We raised money to for two studies that will look into less invasive treatments for fibroids But you know, we need more we need more research and research requires funding and funding requires Congress But please call your senators and ask them to pass the you fight act so that women can get some more Now let's talk about the odyssey, this is a massive Massive epic film you filmed all over the world. How many countries where were you? I believe there were seven countries that were filmed in all together. I was in Greece and Morocco Gorgeous. Yeah, beautiful. Beautiful. Yeah, and people are saying the experience is like no other experience It was really all practical stuff. Yes, and it's just a reminder I mean this you see this film in IMAX, which is the biggest format? You can see it in and you see the value of it. It's like he captures the beauty of the real world You know, there's very little special effects in this film so what you're seeing is things that we were places that we were actually in and It's so beautiful to see that there is a world that can lend itself to such Ancientness, you know, yeah, we still among us. Did you feel like you were going back in time? Oh, most definitely Really? Oh, yeah We shot in this some castle in Greece and Pilos and it was just these Beautiful cobblestones that we had to trek up to this gorgeous castle. It was a stunning Yeah, everyone said they go it was definitely work It was grueling and everyone, you know, cuz you had to do all the same but it was worth it Yeah, it was we're all in the experience together. Yes. I mean I had it kind of easy. I played two Queens. Yeah I wasn't on a boat or anything But yes, I respect and I I'm I have full respect for those people and went through it And what's it like working with the director Christopher Nolan? It's amazing. I mean He's he is he will ask you to do things. You've never done before. Yeah, that's for sure. Yeah. Yeah, so for me Um, I was doing I was playing clients in this And I was playing clients from Nestor and we were doing this be a scene where Agamemnon comes home and It's very short in the film. I'm not messing it up for anyone, but there I had to I had to put him through a bathing ritual and Chris turns to me and says the pizza will you direct the give give the background actors their tasks? And I just thought wait, have I ever done this before wait, like I'm acting in this and now I have to direct other people Isn't there someone else who's supposed to? Directing as well what and then I said, oh my god, I'm the Queen I guess I would be the one to tell them what to do. That's good. You're in character So then I may thank God I'd done my homework So I knew the kinds of things that I wanted to be done around me and so I gathered these people together and I gave them tasks and then I had to do my own tasks and then keep An eye out for what they were doing so that when he said cut I could give them notes to do it better What and then I thought to myself, I think I just co-directed With Christopher. No. Yes, of course Did you always Did you did you always know that you were gonna do both characters? Yes, so the the way I learned about this project my agent called me and said Christopher Nolan wants to meet you but For a secret project, but just because he's meeting you doesn't mean he's gonna give you the role Okay, he's meeting to do a vibe check But if he likes you, he might show you the script. So I went with this in mind I sat down with him and he walked me through the movie He was about to make and then he said I have a role. I'd like you to play I You were the only person I had in mind for it. So I'm desperate for you to play it But first I'd like you to read the script and the role is Helen of Troy and I said That's a yes I'll do it. Yeah, and then yeah, and then he's and also her sister Clyson Nestor and that's it. That's a double. Yes You're great you're fantastic in the film because the honesty is a part of Greek mythology I thought we could play a fun game where we might even help people learn a bit more about Greek mythology Sound good sounds. All right, let's play. Here's the way it's gonna work here on your turn You're gonna pick up a card the name of a character from Greek mythology on it Okay, you're given two possible descriptions of the character and then have to guess which one is correct. I will go for it. Okay My word is rap. So is it a the goddess of warding off flies? Okay Or be the goddess of sewing. Oh That's easy It's the sewing wait, I'm playing Wait, but you're helping me. I love this. Thank you for helping me. So it's obviously sewing Now it's your turn now, it's my time you help me. Yes, I will. Okay. The word is breeze. Oh a a giant covered in a hundred eyes Oh Be protector of ships Breeze oh, I'm gonna go with be protector of ships judges You know what that sound means it's time this last round as the bonus round we're gonna work together We'll be given three names. One is the character from Greek mythology. The other two are not Okay, we have to agree on which one is the real Greek character All right, the words are a Uranus be Astrakhan, ooh, beautiful astrakhan t's or see Cyclospora Okay Do you have a thought I don't think it's see I don't think I think she is what's going on right now with the lettuce Okay, I have a strong feeling talk to me I think it's Uranus what why because Uranus is also a planet and we like to name things after Greek mythology. I Love you. I'm gonna go with Uranus. Hey final answer