Lupita Nyong’o is avoiding calls from friends who are desperate for Black Panther tickets.
The actress is starring as Nakia in Marvel Studios’ new superhero flick, which follows the character of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) as he returns home as the king of Wakanda only to find his sovereignty challenged by a long-time adversary Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan).
Black Panther has shattered advance sales records on movie ticketing website Fandango ahead of its official release on 16 February (18), and Lupita has now admitted that she is ignoring some pals as she knows they’re calling to get preview tickets.
“I’m not picking up some calls, let’s just say that,” she shared during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night (01Feb18), adding that she found it tough to narrow down who to bring with her to the Black Panther premiere in Hollywood on Monday night, and ended up having 25 guests.
“I’m a part of Star Wars, so I know frenzy, right?! But for the first time in my life, once the trailer came out last year, people started hitting me up to try and attend the premiere. And I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to lose friends this time,'” the 34-year-old shared. “I had to be very careful and very strategic about how I invited people. So, I started with the inner circle, my parents, then the next circle, I’d be like, ‘Are you in L.A.? Oh, you’re not? Never mind.'”
Thanks to her high-profile roles, Lupita is now one of the most recognisable stars in the business. And during her chat with host Jimmy, she revealed that the last time she was able to enjoy complete anonymity was when she attended San Diego Comic-Con dressed as the Pink Power Ranger last July (17).
“I had the best time, I did whatever I wanted. I was rolling around and kicking my legs up in the air. I had no music but I was dancing all the time,” she smiled.
