Oscars 2014: ’12 Years a Slave’s’ Lupita Nyong’o takes it all in
Lupita Nyong’o was one of the toasts of the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night. Backstage after her win for supporting actress, the “12 Years A Slave” star continued her turn as a new It Girl.
Nyong’o gathered up the ends of her billowing powder blue dress with her fingers, careful not to let go of her new little man—an Oscar statuette--before taking the platform in front of reporters.
“Ever dream this big?” a reporter asked the 31-year-old Kenyan-born, Yale-educated actress.
“No. Noooo,” she replied.
FULL COVERAGE: Oscars 2014 | Complete list of winners
She then turned serious when a reporter asked her what she’ll take away from the experience.
“Hmm, that’s a tough one,” Nyong’o, who stars as Patsy in the Steve McQueen best picture winner, said hesitantly. “Oh, that’s tough. I don’t know if I can answer that question. What I’ve learned from myself is that I don’t have to be anyone else. That myself is good enough. When I’m true to that self, I can avail myself [of] extraordinary things.”
Like a lot of Oscar first-timers, Nyong’o continued to express a level of amazement at what had happened. “You hear people wanting you to win, predicting you win,” she said. “But it’s not until you hear Christoph Waltz say your name...” She added, “I feel like Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory.”
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