Lupita Nyong’o On A Potential ‘Us’ Sequel “Red Is Dead” – The Contenders NY

Amanda N'Duka

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Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o was just named Best Actress of the year by New York Film Critics Circle for her performance in Jordan Peele’s Us. But despite her much-acclaimed performance as matriarch Adelaide Wilson and her tethered counterpart Red, as well as the film’s overall commercial and critical success, Nyong’o is not too interested in revisiting her characters.

“No thanks. Red is dead,” Nyong’o emphatically declared during her turn at Deadline’s Contenders New York.

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While no sequel has been announced, it’s understandable why Nyong’o would not want to return as she describes tackling the duel roles as “was very very very challenging.”

“I had to hold down both sides of the argument,” she told audiences at the DGA theater. “I had to be the offender and the offended. It was about understanding the emotional landscape of each character but also having a very strict discipline to play both physically and mentally.”

On its surface, Peele’s clutching horror film follows a nuclear family that is confronted by their sadistic doppelgängers. But it’s message goes deeper.

“This movie is an externalization of our monster. It’s a movie that explores who we think of as the enemy. Often times we’re very eager to paint people across the border, or from a different religion, or a different creed, or culture, as the enemy. It’s easier to project that. But what happens when we look at ourselves? What are the enemies within ourselves?” Nyong’o postulated.

“For me, what I found I related to was that identifying with that inner monster inside me.”

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