Lupita Nyong’o has been the subject of recent rumours surrounding her role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens – with some whispers suggesting that her role had been cut because her performance wasn’t up to scratch. Not so, says the film’s director.
“The number of rumours floating around about The Force Awakens is truly stunning,” JJ Abrams told Page Six. “Some are wonderfully funny, others simply preposterous. But the only one more ridiculous than Jar Jar Binks being a Sith Lord is that I cut Lupita Nyong’o’s performance because it wasn’t satisfactory.”
“In truth, her performance wasn’t satisfactory,” he went on. “It was spectacular. She has brought the character of Maz Kanata to life in the most wonderful, wise, touching, deep and funny way. Lupita never ceased to amaze me. Yes, we tried many approaches, and we finally landed on just what the film needed. She elevated all the scenes she is in, I’m forever grateful, and can’t wait for people to see her stunning performance.”
It’s difficult to discern where the rumours may have stemmed from – with tabloids suggesting that her role had been “massively cut in the finished edit” – since the film has never been screened, with an insider adding: “No one, including Lupita, has seen it.”
Source: Vogue.co.uk
