J.J. Abrams Slams Rumors That He Cut Down Lupita Nyong'o's Star Wars Role Because of Her Poor Performance

Director calls her work "spectacular"

By Francesca Bacardi Dec 04, 2015 4:41 PMTags
Lupita Nyong'o, J.J. AbramsLarry Busacca/Angela Weiss/Getty Images

Considering Lupita Nyong'o won an Oscar for her role in 12 Years a Slave, we find it hard to believe that any of her performances could be anything short of phenomenal.

But U.K. publication The Sun wrote a report that claimed director J.J. Abrams had to "massively cut" Nyong'o's role out of Star Wars: The Force Awakens because "there was a general sense that something wasn't working." The solution was to rework or cut the majority of her scenes, but as soon as Abrams caught wind of the rumors he shot them down.

"The number of rumors floating around about The Force Awakens is truly stunning. Some are wonderfully funny, others simply preposterous," Abrams told Page Six in a statement. "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."

The director added: "In truth, her performance wasn't satisfactory. 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."

Nyong'o opened up to Essence about the film's secret casting process and said her character, Maz Kanata, provided a depth that she looks for in roles.

"I was on the way to the beach and all of sudden J.J.'s on the phone. I asked to see the script and they flew someone to Morocco with the script so I could read it," she explained. "I was immediately interested in the character. I like to get lost in the transformation and I felt like this character would offer me that."

When asked to give a little more insight into what fans can expect from her, she tightened. "I can say that she's strong and has a colorful past and that's it before they shoot me down."

Watch: Lupita Nyong'o Pleads the Fifth on "Star Wars" Role