Actress Lupita Nyong’o is putting her Hollywood clout on New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani mere days ahead of elections. “I believe that Zohran Mamdani possesses the personality, skills, and temperament to be an excellent mayor of New York City. The polls are open now, and it was an honor to cast my vote for him!”” In a social media post, Nyong’o shared her “two cents” on Mamdani’s candidature and traits, whom she has known for 20 years.
“We met when he was just 14, during my internship at his mother’s production company, Mirabai Films. After a month of hearing his name mentioned, I found myself curious about this boy,” penned Nyong’o, who started her acting career in New York City in the beginning of the 2000s before winning an Academy Award for her debut feature performance in “12 Years a Slave”.
She wrote about her first contact with then-teenage Zohran, saying, “The young man before me was present, warm, and respectful. He greeted everyone and introduced himself to me with genuine eye contact and a smile. There were no airs about him, no trace of entitlement. He was down-to-earth and comfortable in his own skin.”
Nyong’o stated she reunited with Mamdani when he was a mature man, when they collaborated on the film “Queen of Katwe” in Uganda, his birthplace. “The boy I’d met had matured, but his warmth, presence, and engagement remained,” she added. On set, Mamdani “managed an ever-changing community of cast and crew with grace, easing tensions as they arose and maintaining remarkable calm under immense pressure.”
“Zohran did all of this with the affable spirit we’ve all come to know and love. He was focused, dedicated, and passionate about the work. Whether on our film set or in politics, Zohran has always been an incredibly talented and productive person,” Nyong’o explained.
The Hollywood diva said she wasn’t surprised when Mamdani told her years later that he was seeking office for the New York State Assembly. “I was impressed. This young man was choosing a challenging, often thankless path because he believed he had something to offer the people of the city he grew up in and loved so deeply,” Nyong’o remarked.
She concluded with her statement aspiring support for Zohran,“I recognised that same glint in his eyes when he spoke about his political aspirations, the same one I’ve seen when we worked together on the film. The qualities that made Zohran an exceptional leader in my experience with him on set translate powerfully to the political career he’s established.”
