Lupita Nyong’o Got Over Being a ‘Scaredy Cat’ for ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’

The trailer for ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ (June 28) shows star Lupita Nyong’o carrying a cat around moments before New York City is overtaken by aliens. For Nyong’o, the scariest thing on set weren’t the aliens, but rather the cat in her arm. “I had a deadly fear of cats. I couldn’t be in the same room as cats. I would break out in tears.” Calling herself a “scaredy cat,” the Oscar-winning actress worked with a cat therapist to get over her fear. “I can confidently say this film has changed my life.” The film, a spin-off prequel to the other two in the franchise, tells the story of the first day the aliens—attracted by noise—took over the world. Nyong’o calls New York “a character in and of itself” and “makes for a much more dexterous journey, I will say, compared to the last few films that were in a remote location.” As to how she’d fare in a world infested with noise-attracted aliens? “Not well, because when I am deathly afraid, I break out in fits of laughter. Which is the wrong thing to be doing when you’re scared, ever. So, I feel like I would die laughing, which is great.” Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.