Alec Baldwin hits back at Elon Musk for criticizing Lupita Nyong'o's looks over her casting in The Odyssey

UK Mail ^ | Published: 21:55 EDT, 16 May 2026 | JENNIFER PEARSON

[dennisw]

Alec Baldwin didn't take kindly to Elon Musk disparaging Lupita Nyong'o's looks over her casting as Helen of Troy in the upcoming film The Odyssey based on Homer's epic poem.

The Tesla CEO grumbled that Nyong'o couldn't play Zeus's daughter, whose exceptional beauty sparked the 10-year Trojan War after she was taken to Troy by the Trojan prince Paris, according to Greek mythology.

Nyong'o will also be playing the role of Helen's sister Clytemnestra, who was beautiful but not enough to launch a thousand ships.

Baldwin defended Nyong'o via Instagram: 'Dear Elon… but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world,' alongside a photo of the 43-year-old Kenyan-Mexican actress.

The war of words started when political commentator and podcast host Matt Walsh wrote on X, 'Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong'o is "the most beautiful woman in the world."'

Walsh, whose critics have accused him of promoting white supremacy and spreading racist conspiracy views, then directed his attack on the film's director.

---

TOPICS: Books/Literature; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: alecbaldwin; alectheclown; arectheclown; arrecbarwin; bradpittismalcolmx; dailyfail; felonoftroy; furyshelen; furyspeople; halynahutchins; helenofdetroit; hellnoofdetroit; hollywood; jenniferpearson; joelsouza; movies; rust; shootybaldwin; snl; sweeneyoftroy; sydneyoftroy; whitepeoplebadmkay; woke

[ComputerGuy]

Maybe it’s a local thang, I dunno.

[Biblebelter]

Exactly!

Casca would never say, She looks Greek to me.

[OA5599]

He’s an African-American, so it’s okay.

[PIF]

Alec Baldwin chose her after the death of his number one pick for the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen Thomas ...

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

“A millihelen is not a real electrical or engineering unit. It is a well-known humorous, geeky unit of measurement defined as “the amount of physical beauty required to launch a single ship”.

[Cold Heart]

Whoopi was not available.

[ansel12]

I watched 3 movies about the black woman who hit a white man with her car and he got stuck in her windshield, she drove home and parked the car in the garage and he eventually died, all the women were played by white actresses, I don't know the casting for the TV drama versions.

"On Oct. 26, 2001, (Chante Jawan) Mallard, then 25 years old, hit the homeless Biggs with her vehicle. The force of the crash sent him over the hood and into the windshield, where he became lodged, critically injured.

Instead of calling police or seeking medical help, however, Mallard drove her vehicle home and parked it in her garage. Biggs remained in her windshield, bleeding and pleading for help. According to subsequent trial testimony, Mallard checked on him several times and apologized, but she never sought treatment for his injuries.

He died several hours later. He was 37."

[epluribus_2]

potential viewers of this should be immediately recommended to see the movie “300” which should be shown on another screen at the same theaters, imho

[dfwgator]

Setting it up to blame the box-office failure on MAGA.

[dfwgator]

It’s like Bialystok & Bloom are producing all these movies.

[Organic Panic]

Arec made a big mistake. All these years since 2007 we have been told Moochelle Obama was the most beautiful woman in the world.

[Sirius Lee]

She would be perfect if they made an Oddessy, but set in the Planet of the Apes universe.

[TheThirdRuffian]

This is like casting Michael Caine as Malcolm X.

[Reily]

E Paige’s first film that I know of was a mildly amusing teen farce called Juno. It was female then. The next time it popped up on my radar screen was the role of Trina in Trailer Park Boys. Still female! Now full psycho talked about playing the ghost of Achilles.

[Liz]

Lupita----not even pretty-----here in red contacts.

[DPMD]

Will Rosie O’Donnell play her cousin Clamydia?

[DPMD]

Chances are the movie won’t attract many among our student democraphic, current or recent, since, thanks to the NEA and AFT, they have no idea what the Odyssey, The Iliad are, and the only Homer they know is a Simpson.

[DPMD]

Surprised Nolan didn’t rename her Mozetta Quintonious of Troy.

[DPMD]

“...the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Did he run this by Hillary/Hilaria?

[hinckley buzzard]

“Helen of Detroit”—perfect.