Will Lupita Nyong'o Become an A-List Actor? Are Black Actresses Still Being Treated Unfairly in Hollywood?

After an actor wins an Oscar most people want to know how the actor's career will be affected. Most actors go on to huge careers and become A-listers, others continue doing small indie films, and other actors get lost in the crowd and never shine again. After Lupita Nyong'o won the Oscar there was a lot of talk about what would be next for the actress.

Nyong'o had a small role in the action thriller "Non-stop." Since then the actress has supposedly received a number of offers and apparently also met with director J.J Abrams for a role in "Star Wars: Episode VII." However, that has yet to be confirmed.

The Hollywood Reporter recently published an article questioning her viability as an A-list star featuring a quote from a studio executive that stated, "I don't think she has an audience -- not yet. And there are so few roles for women of color; those roles are just not being written."  

A TCA talent agent also stated that it was unlikely the actress would last in the business. The agent said, "Would Beyonce be who she is if she didn't look like she does?  Being lighter-skinned, more people can look at her image and see themselves in her. In Lupita's case, I think she has two-and-half, three years. If she can find a franchise -- a 'Star Wars' or a 'Bourne Identity' -- a big crossover film, or if she's cast by a significant filmmaker, then she's golden, she'll have carved out a unique path for herself."

"Yes, she faces obstacles," agrees a prominent casting agent, but they are not insurmountable. "For someone who looks like her, with a distinctly black, African face, maybe she's someone who can change the direction for darker-skin actresses, actresses who are definitely not European-looking, but it may require some forward-looking director to push for her."

For decades Hollywood has been prejudiced towards black actors and only a few actors have become major stars such as Denzel Washington and Sydney Poitier.

Halle Berry was recognized as the first black actress to win Best Actress and seemed she would have a strong career in front of her. However, she was relegated to action films that were either supporting roles or that bombed at the box office.

Octavia Spencer, who won in the Supporting Actress category, admitted that the Oscar gave her some recognition but said that the award did not have much of an effect on her career. She was seen in a number of films, but mostly independent ones.

Meanwhile, Gabourey Sidibe who was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for "Precious" was relegated to comic roles and stereotypical work. Monique who won the Best Supporting Actress for the same film has also not been seen in a film since then.

Other black actresses who attempted to have major careers were Angela Basset, Thandie Newton and Naomie Harris. Currently, Paula Patton, who had a breakout in "Precious," has been seen in similar roles as pure sex appeal.

As a result, it will be interesting to see how Nyong'o's career shapes up. Her agents have stated that she has a lot of offers.

The recent controversial casting of Rooney Mara as the native Amercan Lily Tiger in "Pan" showed Hollywood's priorities once again. Nyong'o was supposedly in the running to play the character. However, it was a white actress who eventually took the role.

Nyong'o is still young and that may be an advantage for her, but ultimately time will tell where her career ends up.