Alec Baldwin joined the online argument over Christopher Nolan’s casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy in The Odyssey, backing the decision after Elon Musk criticized it.
Elon Musk spent months questioning why Christopher Nolan cast Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy in The Odyssey—and Alec Baldwin wasn’t about to let that slide.
On May 15, Baldwin posted a photo of Nyong’o on Instagram with the message: “Dear Elon … but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world … Alec.” Hilaria Baldwin chimed in too, adding heart emojis in the comments.
Nyong’o has been attached to The Odyssey since November 2024. even though she has not appeared in either of the film’s two released trailers.. After months of speculation. a recent Time magazine profile put the rumors to rest by confirming she will portray both Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra.
In Greek mythology. Helen of Troy is widely known as the “most beautiful woman in the world.” She is abducted by the Trojan prince Paris. an event that helps ignite the Trojan War.. Helen is one of the most iconic figures in Homer’s The Iliad. and she also appears briefly in The Odyssey. where she shares a scene with Telemachus—played by Tom Holland in Nolan’s film.
Clytemnestra, Nyong’o’s second role, is Helen’s sister and the wife of Agamemnon, portrayed by Benny Safdie. The film itself follows Matt Damon as Odysseus, one of Agamemnon’s soldiers, as he spends 10 years trying to find his way back to Ithaca after the war.
The latest round of public debate traces back to May 13. when Musk weighed in on a post from conservative political commentator Matt Walsh on X.. Walsh wrote that “Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world.’” He added that Nolan would be “called racist” if he cast a white actress for the role. calling Nolan “technically talented but a coward. ” and accusing him of being too afraid to challenge “the spirit of the age.”
Musk replied “True.”
On May 14. Walsh continued the argument. saying that people are told not to object to Helen of Troy being portrayed as a Black woman.. He then claimed the reaction would be different if the casting were reversed—for example. he wrote that a film set in Africa casting a white actress as “the most beautiful woman in Africa” would lead to outrage.. He also argued that if Sydney Sweeney were cast, the backlash would escalate, describing people being “driven to murderous violence.”
Musk returned again the next day, calling Nolan’s casting decision an example of “such hypocrisy in Hollywood,” an accusation that Baldwin now appears to reject—at least where Nyong’o’s looks are concerned.
Alec Baldwin Elon Musk Christopher Nolan Lupita Nyong’o The Odyssey Helen of Troy Clytemnestra Matt Walsh Hilaria Baldwin Instagram