Lupita Nyong'o got over her longtime fear of cats by doing 'cat therapy' for 'A Quiet Place: Day One.' Then, she adopted a cat of her own.

• Lupita Nyong'o had a longtime fear of cats before starring in "A Quiet Place: Day One."
• Her character in the movie carries a cat around, so she did "cat therapy" to be comfortable with the animal.

Lupita Nyong'o never envisioned herself becoming a cat lady, until her role in the new film "A Quiet Place: Day One" forced her to confront her fear of felines through "cat therapy."

In a new interview with Glamour published Monday, the Oscar winner spoke about how she landed a role in the upcoming "Quiet Place" spin-off prequel.

In the horror movie, she plays Sam, who forms an alliance with a man named Eric (Joseph Quinn) as New York City is invaded by aliens with a sharp sense of hearing. Sam also owns a black-and-white cat, whom she tries to protect while attempting to escape the city.

Nyong'o said she was always scared of cats and asked writer and director Michael Sarnoski "if there was any way that we could change the animal," to no avail. Because she wanted the part, Nyong'o said that she underwent "cat therapy" prior to filming with her furry costar named Schnitzel.

"I had to learn a lot about myself, about the animal, before I was comfortable to do it," she said.

Nyong'o didn't share what exactly the therapy entailed, but it worked.

Since working on the film, the actor has become a true cat lady off-screen. Her 2-year-old orange cat named Yoyo, whom she adopted in 2023 after her difficult breakup with TV host and sports commentator Selema Masekela, is a frequent presence on her Instagram account.

Nyong'o told Glamour that she was dealing with intense heartbreak when she decided to foster Yoyo, which quickly led to adoption.

"I was really having a hard time believing in joy," she said. "I was flirting with depression. I wasn't there yet, but I was flirting with it. And I had a voice say in my head, 'Get a cat.'"

"I guess the best anecdote for when you feel poorly taken care of is to take care of something," she added. "And I took care of Yoyo and he pried my heart open."