Lupita Nyong’o was inspired by her mother for her role in ‘The Jungle Book’.
The 33-year-old actress stars as mother wolf Raksha in the fantasy film and admits the motherhood instinct in her is "very much alive".
She said: "I think my mother had a lot to do with what inspired me. She’s my example and she’s a very good mother. I asked myself a lot of questions about what it would be like to lose one of my own; although I’m not a mother myself I do love children.
"When I was 12, I preferred to stay indoors and babysit my cousins rather than go outside and play. So there’s that part of me that’s very much alive. I gravitate toward children. So yes, my mother definitely is who inspired me."
Meanwhile, Lupita – who performed her first voiceover role in ‘The Jungle Book’ – also revealed she likes to try new things when it comes to acting.
She added to EBONY.com: "I like to try out new things – ‘Star Wars’ was my first attempt at doing motion capture and this is my first voiceover role. I was attracted to it because Raksha is like the eternal mother. And she chooses to take care of this creature who is not one of her own.
"I remember I did a session, a voiceover, really early on and then a few months later Jon called me in again but this time he had Neel’s [Sethi, who portrays Mowgli] performance captured and that really grounded the mother-son relationship for me to see the vulnerability of this boy and the love that he had for the wolf – it only made my love for him grow even more. And it’s such a beautiful image to see these two very different creatures have this very real bond."
Lupita Nyong’o inspired by mother
