Lupita Nyong'o. Award-winning actress. The world's “Most Beautiful” woman (according to People Magazine). Film and music video director. Fashion model. The list is growing. She rose to fame due to her stunning performance in Twelve Years of Slave, and she’s raising a stir with her unique sense of style.
Last year was a big year for Lupita, but the recent announcement that the Oscar winner will be starring in the much-anticipated Star Wars Episode VII could mean that 2014 is even bigger.Here's what you need to know about the 31-year-old's ascent from the undiscovered to Hollywood’s latest “It” Girl.
LUPITA CAUGHT THE ACTING BUG EARLY
Image Source: Asos
Lupita began her acting career at the age of 14 as Juliet in a production of Romeo and Juliet for the repertory company Phoenix Players. After a string of internships and Production Assistant roles in films such as The Constant Gardener, Lupita landed a role East River (pictured above) in 2008. In 2009, she wrote, directed, and produced the documentary In My Genes, about the treatment of Kenya's albino population, which played at several film festivals and won first prize at the 2009 Five College Film Festival.
HER FIRST BIG BREAK: TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE
Image Source: Telegraph
This film is the reason she became relevant in Hollywood. It was her first major screen appearance which came after a four year stint at Yale studying drama. Twelve Years a Slave, which met with wide critical acclaim, tells the real-life story of Solomon Northup (played by Chiwitel Ejiofor), a free born African American man who is sold into slavery in 1841. Nyong'o played the role of Patsey, a slave who works alongside Northup at a cotton plantation. Her performance met with rave reviews and earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, along with a Golden Globe nomination and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
SHE DECIDED TO BECOME THE NEW FASHIONISTA
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Fashion Critics and Hollywood Juggernauts alike lauded Lupita's style sense when she stole the show at the Golden Globes, her first red carpet appearance, wearing a daring red Ralph Lauren dress. She is often compared to other elite fashion icons for her divine panache and is regularly featured in publications such as InStyle, E Online, Glamour and Vanity Fair. She has also graced the covers of numerous magazines including W, Du Jour, People Magazine, Marie Claire and Entertainment Weekly to name a few.
STAR WARS EPISODE VII AND BEYOND
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Then, there's Star Wars Episode VII. In the next chaper of Lupita's career, she will star in what may be 2015's largest blockbuster. No one can be absolutely sure what the future holds for Lupita, but we don’t see her star fading for a very long time.
