Lupita Nyong’o told Taylor Swift how “Shake It Off” helped her get out of a depressing time in her life

Taylor Swift has helped Lupita Nyong’o in more than one sense. The A quiet place: day one In a personal letter to the pop star, the star talks about a situation in which she showed herself vulnerable.

During an appearance on the latest Name isNyong’o rehashed the story of how she managed to secure the rights to use Swift’s “Shake It Off” while a crucial moment in her 2019 film, Little monsters.

“When I arrived in London war of starsI had a lot of self-doubt because it was the second thing I had done,” she recalls. “I got a bit depressed. My best friend came to London and Taylor had just ‘Shake off‘ and he played it for me to cheer me up and we just jumped on my bed and danced and danced and it lifted my spirits.”

Nyong’o said the opportunity to play the song on camera years later while strumming the ukulele Little monsters “meant a lot to her.” However, the producers were unable to obtain the rights to use Swift’s song.

“When they came and told me, ‘Oh no, we can’t get the rights,’ I decided, OK, I’m going to go, I’m going to make an offer. I’m going to let Taylor know what this song means to me,” the actress said.

“I told her the story of how it pulled me out of a near depression and the next thing I knew it was all over,” she explained. “I haven’t seen her since to thank her for it.”

Nyong’o then publicly thanked the camera – a gesture she had previously made during an interview with ET at the time of the film’s release in 2019.

“I haven’t heard from her personally, but when I heard we got the song, I knew she heard me and I was just so grateful,” Nyong’o told ET’s cameras. “Taylor Swift, thank you so much. I hope you see the film and I hope you feel like I cared about your song.”

Nyong’o and Swift do not have one thing in common: a love of catsWhile Swift loud and proud owner of three cats Nyong’o herself has admitted that her fear of cats initially prevented her from accepting her latest role.

In A quiet place: Day one – the third film in the series and a prequel to the 2018 original A quiet place – Nyong’o plays Sam, a young woman with a cat named Frodo who gets caught up in an alien invasion of New York City.

“I had to overcome my fear of cats to make this film,” She told ET at the film’s premiere on Wednesday in New York City. “I was very afraid of cats before I made this film. That’s exactly why I was hesitant about whether or not to accept the role. I had to overcome my fear of cats before I could start this film. But they were spectacular.”

The 41-year-old star stunned on the red carpet in a Prada jumpsuit with a black satin miniskirt and geometric train, telling ET that the look was inspired by her newfound love of kittens.

“This whole film opened up the world of cats to me, and the catsuit is inspired by that,” Nyong’o said. “Now I carry my cat everywhere I go.”

A quiet place: Day one – Other actors Joseph QuinnAlex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou and Eliane Umuhire — will be in theaters on June 28th.

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