Newsmax host complains about Lupita Nyong'o playing Helen of Troy: “Forced diversity has made its way into the film”
Rob Schmitt: “There's plenty of places for a Black actor in a movie like this. Why force it in such a ridiculous way?”
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From the February 2, 2026, edition of Newsmax's Rob Schmitt Tonight
ROB SCHMITT (HOST): And finally, filmmaker Christopher Nolan making a rare unforced error with his new film The Odyssey — the best director in the game right now. Forced diversity has made its way into the film.
Helen of Troy, famous for appearing in Homer's The Iliad, has been depicted as a fair skinned, blond Greek woman known as the face that launched a thousand ships with its beauty. But multiple reports now suggest Lupita Nyong'o, a Kenyan actress, is going to be playing Helen of Troy in this new film.
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And again, there's plenty of places for a Black actor in a movie like this. Why force it in such a ridiculous way?