00:00Born in Mexico City to Kenyan parents, Lupita Nyong'o is the second oldest of six children.
00:06The family returned to Africa when she was less than a year old, but she would go back to Mexico
00:10as a teen to study.
00:12Her parents encouraged her artistic nature, and Nyong'o began acting in school plays,
00:16before making her professional stage debut at just 14 as the tragic title female in a production of Romeo and
00:23Juliet.
00:23Lupita went on to earn a master's degree in acting from the prestigious Yale University,
00:28and right out of college landed her big-screen breakthrough in 12 Years a Slave.
00:32The role also earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, an emotional moment for the young star.
00:38What I've learned for myself is that I don't have to be anybody else, and that myself is good enough,
00:44and that when I am being true to that self, then I can do, I can avail myself to extraordinary
00:50things,
00:50and I think that's the thing. You have to allow for the impossible to be possible.
00:56Nyong'o not only became an overnight sensation, but her incredible fashion selections during award season
01:02added the title of style icon to her growing resume.
01:05In 2014, she was even named the most beautiful woman in the world by People magazine.
01:10Lupita's now known for incorporating her African heritage into her red carpet outfits,
01:14and by staying so true to herself, she's well on her way to conquering Hollywood.
01:19You
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