Here are some photos from the Calvin Klein party last night at the Cannes Film Festival. This was Lupita Nyong’o’s first Cannes! And while she doesn’t have a film to promote, she’s hardly the first actress to come to Cannes just to be a Fashion Girl and a Party Girl. She’s got a MiuMiu contract and a Lancome contract – showing up to parties and looking beautiful is one of her jobs now.
Lupita partied and posed with Rooney Mara (the current face of Calvin Klein), Julianne Moore and Naomi Watts at the Cannes event. They all look like they were having a good time… except for Rooney, who always looks… aloof. All of these ladies are wearing Calvin Klein, obviously. Even though I’m not crazy about the cut-out on Lupita’s CK dress, I think hers was the prettiest. I think Julianne’s was the worst, although Naomi’s dress was trying to give Julianne’s a run for the Fug Title.
So, are you okay with Lupita coming out to these events? I’m fine with it. Cannes is a great place to network, and hey, she might even get some work out of this trip.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
She looks bad, and it is a sad thing to see her showing up to any red carpet rather than actually working. She’s officially lost her Oscar steam.
No she has not, the Oscars was not that long ago. She is probably working on some deals and keeping things hush hush until they are written in stone. It’s not fair to add all of this pressure, I am sure Lupita will get some great roles. Her being out there is a good thing for her as long as she’s not doing anything to damage her reputation. Let’s put it this way, she will not disappear into the world of Weight Watchers..eh hem. She is an actress first.
At this point, its not good that Lupita hasn’t booked another job. There was even an article in the Hollywood Reporter discussing it, with people on the record quoting how shameful it is. People should absolutely keep the pressure on: because that’s how the people that make the movies know that its unacceptable that Lupita has yet to book a follow-up!
I want to be on your side, believe me I do. But it’s not playing out that way I’m afraid.
She sure is! She should be too busy working rather than posing on the red carpet. It’s sas that she has to hustle!
I’m with Lupita playing out like a flash in the pan vs. slow burn. She gets a great role in a huge Oscar movie. She campaigns well. Oscars are forever trying to repair how terrible their history was with segregation flat out denying awards or entrance to the awards to non-white actors, negative stereotypes winning, etc…
Lupita’s latest film non-stop did not do well at all and her work lined up is minimal. Maybe she’s just cherry picking the right roles.
She can come back from this. Trouble is she hit huge name recognition very early on and hasn’t given us consistent or any decent role since her only role.
I hope she chooses a good one or she’ll be known as the Oscar winner that can’t duplicate success and shows up to any red carpet.
Something nice… Her eyeliner isn’t matching her shoes or dress!
FLORC, She got the gig with Non-Stop before she was famous really, and she’s is barely in it. And I mean barely. She says probably a few sentences and only in a few scenes. But where did you get Non-Stop didn’t do well? Critically it was always going to get average ratings for the type of movie it was, but the audience score was high, as was the box office. It opened number one at $30 millon the first weekend and was a hit. Its budget was 50 million and it has made a hair under 200 million. There were articles about Liam Neeson’s ability to pull in audiences. The studio was very pleased with how this movie performed. It was a definite box office success. Unfortunately, she wasn’t really in it. If you blinked, you missed her.
She also has to walk a very fine line right now. For the plum roles she has to fihht harder to get the powers that be to see past her skin color, but she also can’t just book any job that will have her because as a 31 year old woman she’s not going to be given the infinite chances that others in her position are given.
FLORC, um, what are you talking about “Lupita’s latest film non-stop did not do well at all”? First, it was not her film, it was Liam Neeson’s film (with an assist to Julianne Moore and Michelle Dockery). Lupita was a speaking extra. You could have cut out her character and the film would not have lost anything at all. Second, Non-stop made $198 million worldwide on a budget of $50 million. It opened #1 in Feb with $28.9 million. That’s not exactly flopping.
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=nonstop.htm
Jayna
Full production budget plus promotional budget tallies up all the cost put in to making the film before it profits. Internationally movies always make up a lot of ground.
Also, I bring up Non-Stop because it’s the only other film that she’s in to judge her on screen acting abilities. Not simply her voice or short film work.
A lot can be shown through a few moments of screen time if the actor is good enough.
At the end of the day anyone can manipulate the numbers to go however they like.
I just wonder if Lupita has the acting range to play other roles. I can see her as a bond girl/villianess.
Jessica. I read “Um” and stopped reading. I knew the direction of your post and opinion from that word. No thanks.
She was been honored at the Calvin Klein event. It was for women in film. I love the dress.
I also LOVE the dress. She’s NEVER boring.
Meh, to me the dress makes her look really thick. Not a good look in my opinion, but agree to disagree! 🙂
Love the dress too! She looks really sophisticated and modern to me.
I’m not a fan of the dress. What is it that Nina Garcia always said on Project Runway? You can’t have tight AND shiny AND short. I think even two in this case are too much. Plus, it looks a lot like denim. Is it denim? It reminds me of the time Brittany and Justin T went out in LA in Texas Tuxedos.
That dress is fug and cut outs need to die. I don’t even like the color on her.
Her style has really gone downhill. What happened?
Naomi Watts is my favorite of the bunch. Not great still
Geez, I’m sure she has achieved way more than anyone here. So negative.
Speak for yourself
Really? So an Oscar is the best and greatest thing that could ever happen to someone, the pinnacle of all achievements? I don’t think so. I like Lupita, but come on now, to say no one here has not had equal or greater achievement than her is insulting. An Oscar is the same as any achievement in any career. I’m pretty damned proud of my MD and PhD.
Lupita has an Oscar for 1 role and kind of her only role, in a movie that was Oscar bait from the start. Plus, she’s lived a very fortunate life (regardless of what fan girls will say).
She’s only giving us clothes and makeup. No pool of acting work and such. So if she wears bad clothes then yes. It will be negative.
Agree above. Cut outs are terrible.
Those dresses should be taken out behind a barn and shot. Please, put them out of my misery.
I’m totally bored by her now. Sadly, she has been completely over-exposed. I don’t think the umpteenth fashion red carpet appearance is doing anything for her serious actress status.
Her body is sick. She can pretty much wear anything. The girl is fit, and I would so hit it. Got me all Lesbianized!
Her face is perfection, but her bodytype is.not my taste.
I usually for brunettes, fairly tall and slim. But for Lupita, I can change that. LOL!
Thick legs, relative to upper body.
Some might call her legs thick, I call them strong and beautiful.
lovely response Tiffany! I fully agree, and as much as I hate memes or soundbites or buzzwords or whatever you call them, I do really like this one:
Strong Is The New Skinny!
I LOVE the dress (even the tiny slit) and I’m amazed at how many hairstyles she’s worn her hair in….
I think she looks nice
me too!!!!!!!! wow
I like Lupita’s dress, but the cut of the skirt looks matronly. Is her eyeliner blue? I can’t see.
Rooney has the best makeup.
I don’t know if it’s the cut or the fabric but Lupita’s dress makes her look really bottom heavy.
It makes more sense to me for Lupita to be at Cannes then Blake Lively
This.
JM is the hottest 50ish yr old woman. As a fellow ginger, I hope I age half that well. Naomi is so glowy, I love it. F*cking smile, Rooney Mara!!
Lupta’s dress is a bad length. Her legs look stumpy from that and the ankle straps.
Why does she.need to smile? Maybe she doesn’t like her smile.
Moore looks better than women half her age without looking botoxy like Nicole Kidman. Lovely woman.
Gingers tend to age fairly well if they don’t mess too much with their faces. I’m the ultimate ginge and I’ve been told I don’t look my age.
I like the dress, but I think it’s a tad too long for her. Not really feeling the shoes, though.
I hate all the wigs Lupita wears. This one is my least favorite but her outfit is nice so is Rooney’s.
@Em
Umm no it’s not! They’re wigs. Go to laineygossip here: http://www.laineygossip.com/Lupita-Nyongo-in-France-for-her-first-Cannes-Film-Festival/30253
That’s her real hair. This wig is no good.
Is this what Lupita is going to be known for now? When is she going to get an actual acting gig? At this rate, she’s going to be lumped in with people like Blake Lively and Jessica Biel and be known as chicks who show up to not their events wearing clothes (I would say pretty clothes, but they’re not always pretty). I mean, why is Blake Lively at Cannes?
You can include Zoe Saldana in that group for now, too, since she has no other reason to be at Cannes either. But at least Zoe has 3 franchises in her quiver and other smaller films too. This crap is a side thing for her.
I agree- I think it’s funny all these excuses people on this site make for her. After her Oscar she should have signed a movie, instead she just goes to red carpets and wears clothes. Which is fine, it’s a legitimate career choice she can make, but it’s not a good sign for her actual acting career.
To all the people saying- “she’s working on deals, I swear!!” This would be amazing, but it is wishful thinking. She’s not Angelina Jolie, some giant star who can keep things secret and take her time choosing the perfect roles without a worry. She is an actress with only 1 real film role to her name…
She should have signed BEFORE the Oscars it would seem she would have had auditions after 12YAS, as what if she was never nominated what would she be doing? She is talented no doubt but once you get a film role, make the film, it’s another 18 months IF you are lucky. At this rate she won’t be on the screen until 2015/2016. I don’t know time will tell or it will be smoke and mirrors all this lip service from those in the know and no actual work to back it up.
On another note the dress is nice, could be shorter but I am not keen on the colour and I would prefer her hair as it is naturally.
Edit : I know colour is def. an issue it will be an uphill battle. They (HW) have their go to types and she doesn’t fit it. You would think in 2014 it would be different but no.
Lupita’s been up for roles, but the movies are ultimately choosing to go another (read: whiter) direction. Its naive to complain about the fact that she just won an Oscar and hasn’t signed another movie and not discuss the factthat because of the color of her skin directors or studios are more wary of hiring a black actress. All that work on the Oscar campaign trail, events like Cannes – these are professional networking events and she’s out there hustling, and she’s STILL not sealing the deal. There is definitely a problem, and I doubt that its on Lupita’s end.
People make excuses for her because Hollywood in 2014 is still a racist place where screenwriters think they have to write scripts especially for black women as if we were aliens, and think she’s not light enough to be attractive to a white man and be her counterpart.Adele from BITWC and Margot Robbie are beautiful actresses with awards at their names like Lupita,but they’re getting jobs,guess the difference???
That sounds like some expect her to just walk into a studio and demand to be handed a role. If only it were that easy! I don’t doubt that she’s trying, and in the meantime keeping her publicity up by attending industry events.
She’s in a weird spot – lots of name recognition but no real track record. If a studio wants a big name, they’re going to go with someone with more proven box office. If she takes a smaller role or movie, many are going to say “she’s an Oscar winner, why such a small role?”
@lucy2 Yes, it’s a weird spot, but a working actress is better than nothing. I think the public is much more sympathetic than this. People are frustrated with the crickets on her IMDB page more than anything else. She had an amazing debut and now she works her way up to remind everyone of why she won that damn Oscar!! Besides she won for best SUPPORTING actress. Nobody should expect her to be a lead yet. Hers is an Oscar of promise/potential not establishment.
I don’t know LadyS, when she signed on for the Jungle Book role, many of the comments I read on several sites were dismissive of it, rather than supportive of her getting something.
I actually think it’d be wise for her to take supporting or indie or voice roles to build up her resume and not have any of the pressure of being a lead, but it seems others will see anything less than a big lead role as unworthy.
They’re all there as a part of their L’Oreal contracts (Lupita reps Lancome which is owned by L’Oreal) because L’Oreal is a major sponsor of the event. So all of those ladies are actually doing their jobs.
L’Oreal is one of the major sponsors of Cannes. They fly in all their ‘faces’ every year to walk the red carpet and to be visible on their behalf…… from Blake Lively to Zoe to Eva Longoria to Cheryl Cole to Gong Li to Ashwariya Rai and many other ladies.
Yeah, I don’t get the shade or the problem people have with it.
First, as you noted, L’Oreal is a sponsor and she is one of their faces now. Technically, she is working.
Second, I love Lupita and I would love to see her snapped up by some elite director for a leading lady role but if that THR piece revealed anything it’s that this is going to be a slow and steady process (if not impossible.) I see Lupita more of an indy film star and less of a major film studio actress (sad to say). What better place than Cannes to network with directors outside the Hollywood system and who are more daring to break from tradition. If I were Lupita I would be happy to use those endorsements to maintain my lifestyle while I carefully select my next film role.
btw, I’ve read that she is “circling” a few projects but nothing solid so we’ll see. I am hopeful for her but again, the public is aware of her challenges (thanks THR) so um, I cannot criticize her for taking advantage of opportunities that keep her face and name in the press (outside of calling the paps to the local coffee shop that is).
btw, I like the dress.
Exactly Abby.
I really wonder what is going on behind the scenes. Barkhad Abdi, who was basically the male equivalent of her minus the PR push, has already booked 3 jobs. I have a hard time believing no one has offered her any decent roles. I hope she hasn’t let the hype go to her head and gotten too picky.
I certainly cannot speak for Lupita but I think Hollywood expectations for men in general are a little different than for women. Those expectations are exaggerated in people of color. A black male likely has a few more options than a black female but even then both are sorely lacking. This is nothing new – Halle Berry, Viola Davis, and many other established actresses have lamented the same – and they are all competing over the handful of options.
So I am far more willing to have a bit more patience with Lupita, cause likely her next role will be a supporting one. If she lands a lead, it’ll probably be an indie film with a director willing to buck the system.
I pray I am wrong and she lands a lead in a major studio film but I am too cynical to really believe that right now. In the meantime I am glad that she is managing to keep her face and name in the spotlight and network at the same time – and she gets paid.
But Lupita is conventionally beautiful. Barkhad is not, and Hollywood values beauty above all else. I don’t think he has it any easier than her.
I agree, she needs to get off the red carpets. Most unestablished supporting actress winners don’t get leading roles after their wins, she need to humble down and accept supporting roles, not believe in the hype that was build for the Oscars. She’s not young enough to go down the Jessica Alba road. C’mon girl, act!
I agree completely with you. I understand that there’s pressure to do meaty, but she needs to work regardless. Supporting is not bad. That’s a job so many black actresses want/need. She doesn’t always have to be high intense drama. Variety is never wrong. Viola Davis knows this. And like you said, she’s 31, she has maybe six or seven major film years left. I don’t want to think that she’s wasting time, but 12YAS was filmed TWO years ago!! What has she been doing since then? I don’t even remember her in “Nonstop,” which sucked and I only went to see because of her. She’s so close to becoming a mocktress. She was the token “it” girl and eventually will be forgotten because she’s not in her 20’s. I don’t want the haters to win this battle. F**k!!! Maybe Steve McQueen can write her a script, but what year will that come out? OMFG!!!
LadyS: Non-stop was awesome. And the draw was always Liam Neeson. The only reason Lupita walked the carpets for that film was because she was in the middle of her Oscar campaign. No other person with a role that amounted to a speaking extra would have been walking the carpets the way she did; not on any film.
I love Lupita…but I do not love this color on her.
At first glance I thought it was sparkly denim.
I did come here to say this is not really her color. She would have looked better in pastils like the other women in the picture are wearing.
I love Rooneys makeup the best.. and probably her dress as well although that isn’t saying much because I kind of don’t like any of the dresses all that much.
Rooney Mara looks about as fun to be around as a turd in a punch bowl.
I think everybody would like to see Lupita book 10 juicy roles,but we know the truth is her career prospect aren’t like any other white actress with an Oscar at her name.We’ve read the HR article and know how it goes. Moreover she has the pressure of finding non stereotypical and meaty roles who anyone with an Oscar should get,the pressure in this sense is high.
She’s doing the best thing at the moment,getting exposure and fulfilling her role as spokeperson of Lancome and Miu Miu.
This is the best I could find about the roles she’s considering:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/lupita-nyongo-eyed-for-role-as-social-worker-in-antoine-fuquas-boxing-drama-southpaw#00000146-059f-dc92-abf7-bf9f9d200000
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/is-a-star-wars-role-still-in-the-works-for-lupira-nyongo
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3378192/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_2
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3040964/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_1
The “Southpaw” role (in Lea’s post, above) as the social worker sounds stereotyped and not very interesting. I think she is verging on overexposure on the red carpet, especially on top of that lengthy oscar campaign, but I can understand her frustration if this is the sort of thing she is being offered.
If asked, I would go to Cannes to be a Fashion Girl even if I had nothing to promote… which, coincidentally, is fortunate as I do not, in fact, have anything to promote. But ask away, I promise I will accept. And I promise to smile in photos, especially if I a drunk.
What’s up with her legs? They’re big and don’t match her body? i love Lupita so it’s not being a jealous b!tch, it’s a real question…
They’ve always been like that. She has thick legs which can be hard to dress sometimes. The cut of this dress and the shoes make them stand out more than they should.
I haven’t followed this woman, so I am genuinely asking: has she stated she wants to act again? have a career?
she has already accomplished what most don’t. she goes to cool ass parties, has a contract with Lancome so she has money coming in and some exposure.
so what if she hasn’t booked a job? she’s enjoying her money, her fame, her friends. some of the posts on this thread act like she is a loser for not having a job booked. seriously?
she’s young, enjoying her life. nothing wrong with that.
Well, she’s 31 which is really not young for a film actress. Aaand I’m pretty sure she wants to keep acting seeing as how she got an MFA from Yale Drama. I mean, what is she going to do now, teach? Also that money coming in is only as long as the cosmetics/fashion companies continue to renew her contract. If she loses fame because she became a joke actress then they will drop her. Hollywood is not very forgiving especially with black people. She said she wanted to be an actress her whole life. Why should she suddenly stop caring? That would be the most lazy ass thing in the world!
31!
holy yikes. I thought 21.
She shouldn’t stop caring, but Hollywood success for black actors will always be a struggle. There’s the stage, but work there is hard to get even for the best actors of any race or ethnicity, despite some saying it was always their first love (but are perhaps waiting for the next film role).
Jennifer Anniston is gonna be so excited that her favorite shoe style is coming back in.
I really hate that blue on her but she’s al doll.
She’s gorgeous but I am not a fan of those shoes on her.
I love that dress on her and the color, and I think it’s flattering. I think where she went wrong are the shoes with the ankle strap because of where the dress hits her below the knee and just makes her legs look thicker and short.
She looks beautiful, minus the shoes.
I think they all look good, julianne Moore so classy
I like the dress, but not on Lupita. She’s still very pretty and I like her shoes. At least her shoes and not matchy-matchy with her dress this time! I’m hoping that she gets a film role in the future.
She is the only female Oscar winner in recent times who didn’t have a backlash after winning. GF will be fine, she is cast in Jon Favreau’s new movie I think.
Her and Watts should change dresses.
And I really hope she does not become only a Fashion Girl. She had something in 12 Years, I hope she doesn’t lose it or better yet, Hollywood doesn’t lose her.
What makes people think that she’s lazy and entitled and unaware of how to make a career? Maybe she’s just black in Hollywood. Forget what the myriad of other actresses have stated about the difficulties, the people who would be hiring her said not to raise hopes. I really, really hope she’s not out of the game, but as far as the current silence goes…don’t look so shocked. The biggest acting job is the one that it takes to get the industry and audience thinking that Hollywood is better than the worst of anything.
I think she lacks breasts, so the upper part looks weird, yet she looks good. Hope she never puts implants, never.
She’s doing too much fashion girl stuff. She just won an Oscar, but already I’m seeing people describing her as a Mui Mui/Lancome spokesperson first, or sometimes not even mentioning she’s an actress. She’s done a huge amount of paid appearances for various fashion brands in the past few months. It’s just too much. Even if she had roles lined up and movies coming out, it would still be too much, but because she’s not working it’s really a problem.
I get that it’s going to be tough for her to get juicy roles, but at the same time she is just starting out so she may need to work up to that. She’s won an Oscar, but she’s only had one supporting role and one role where she had just a few lines…I hope she’s open to taking some minor roles and building up her resume. History has shown an actor delivering a brilliant debut performance doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ever going to be great in anything else, so she’s still going to have to earn her dues. Even Jennifer Lawrence took two small roles in between Winter’s Bone and X Men, it’s not unusual for young Oscar nominee’s and Oscar winners to still need to prove themselves before they get offered the good stuff.
Exactly! People want lead roles without realizing she’s still only a debut supporting actress. I wish her luck!!
At first I thought Lupita had a tattoo in the first pic. Then I realized it was just the shade on the girls.
Lupita is pretty and I kinda like the dress on her. Unfortunately I think she’s a one hit wonder. I don’t think she should have won the Oscar nor do I think TYAS should have won best pic. That’s not to say it wasn’t a good movie but I felt Dallas Buys Club was much better as was the acting by Jennifer and Amy. JMO