A few years ago Lupita Nyong'o was working as a runner on a film for Ralph Fiennes. Now she's an Oscar and Golden Globe nominee for her role in 12 Years a Slave. Life for the dainty Kenyan beauty has become a whirl of limousines, Louboutins and face time with the biggest names in business.
© Photo: FacebookLeonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Oprah…. They've all been charmed by her. So it's hard to imagine that her pinch-yourself moment very nearly didn't happen. Growing up as the daughter of a well-to-do Nairobi politician, Lupita shied away from admitting that acting was her passion. The encounter with Ralph on the Constant Gardner was a pivotal moment. "He asked me what I wanted to do with my life," she said "and so I very shyly said I wanted to be an actor too, and he sighed deeply and said, 'Lupita, only act if you can’t breathe without it.'"
© Photo: FacebookShe told the Telegraph that she enrolled in Yale Drama School "because I thought that when I'm 60 and looking back on my life, if acting hadn't been a part of it, I would hate myself". From there Lupita got the call for the part of a slave girl on a cotton plantation. Her natural beauty and joie de vivre have provided a breath of fresh air in Tinseltown comparable to when Jennifer Lawrence arrived on the scene a few years ago. Everyone who meets her remark on these qualities.
© Photo: FacebookHer make up artist for the Golden Globes talked about listening to Beyonce’s new album during their session and having a blast. "That was Lupita's request and we were all having fun," says Nick Barose. "That's the thing about her - I always have to question if I'm actually working around her because it's always so fun. "Talking about his decision to cast Lupita, 12 Years A Slave director Steve McQueen says: "Lupita just shone through. She has this vulnerability to her, but she is also a tremendous force."
