Alec Baldwin Calls Out Elon Musk for Criticizing Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy: 'But She IS the Most Beautiful Woman'

Tommy McArdleFri, May 15, 2026 at 3:16 PM UTC

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Alec Baldwin; Elon Musk; Lupita Nyong'o
Credit: Getty(3) -

Alec Baldwin publicly criticized Elon Musk's complaints on social media regarding Lupita Nyong'o's casting in The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan confirmed in a recent interview that Nyong'o will portray Helen of Troy and Helen's sister Clytemnestra

The Odyssey is in theaters July 17

Alec Baldwin certainly thinks Lupita Nyong'o fits the bill as Helen of Troy in The Odyssey.

Baldwin, 68, shared a photo of Nyong'o, 43, on Instagram on Friday, May 15, in response to Elon Musk after he amplified racist-tinged criticism of Christopher Nolan's decision to cast Nyong'o as Helen of Troy, saying she wasn't fit to play "the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Dear Elon… but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world…Alec," Baldwin wrote in a caption to his post. The actor's wife Hilaria Baldwin appeared to approve of Alec's sentiment, leaving the emojis "🔥❤️" in a comment.

Lupita Nyong'o on March 12, 2026
Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty

Nyong'o has been attached to The Odyssey since The Hollywood Reporter first reported that she would appear in the movie's ensemble cast back in November 2024. Rumors began swirling that she would appear in the movie as Helen of Troy in recent months, though Nyong'o has yet to appear in the two released trailers for the movie.

Filmmaker Nolan, 55, confirmed that Nyong'o is portraying both Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra in The Odyssey in a Time magazine profile published Tuesday, May 12.

Helen of Troy is a pivotal figure in the ancient Greek epic poems known as Homer's The Iliad and Odyssey, the latter of which serves as the basis for Nolan's new movie. Helen is more commonly associated with The Iliad due to her role in starting the mythical Trojan War, but she appears in Homer's Odyssey in one scene with the character Telemachus, whom Tom Holland portrays in the new movie.

Helen's sister Clytemnestra, whom Nyong'o will also portray in the film, marries the Greek hero Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) before Agamemnon leads the Greeks to war against Troy. The Odyssey follows Matt Damon as its title character Odysseus, a hero of the Trojan War who is lost for 10 years after fighting alongside Agamemnon as he attempts to return to his home, Ithaca.

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Lupita Nyong'o on Feb. 16, 2025
Credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty

Musk, the Tesla CEO and owner of X, has complained about Nyong'o's role in the movie a number of times on social media in recent months. In February, he claimed on X that two-time Oscar winner Nolan "has lost his integrity" by casting Nyong'o as Helen.

Whoopi Goldberg similarly leapt to Nyong'o's defense on The View in February, in which she addressed Musk directly and stated that Nyong'o "is also considered one of the world's most beautiful women."

"So I'm not sure what you're trying to say," she said at the time. "You don't have to actually go to the movie. I don't know why you feel like you need to speak on this, and I would suggest looking in a mirror if you have any concerns about people's looks, if this is where we're going."

In addition to Damon, Holland, Nyong'o and Safdie, Nolan's new movie also features Anne Hathaway, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo, and Zendaya in its ensemble cast.

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The Odyssey is in theaters July 17.

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