The Endorsements Keep Rolling In!
Oscar Award winning actress, Lupita Nyong’o is the the chosen face for Glamour magazine’s ‘Woman Of The Year’ issue. Chief Editor, Emma Thompson writes ” As soon as Lupita appeared on scene, I thought. This is a woman I need to photobomb. She’s also an astounding actress.. Oh, and a top human. ”
In the interview, Lupita talks about her humble beginnings as young girl who simply dreamed would conduct her acting skills in front of her family without knowing that she would one day be standing in the middle of the stage receiving an academy award for her lead role in a block buster hit film.
Lupita credits Oprah Winfrey as one her female idols growing up and feels as though she too is a role model to other women and young black girls across the globe. The 12 Years A Slave star also talks about her
Get into a few excerpts below:
On Being A Role Model:
” I feel a responsibility to myself and my parents and the people whose love has gotten me this far—people who were in my life before fame. That’s where I get my sense of self. It’s deadly for anyone to take on that role of a deity; it’s not sustainable. I’ve got tons of flaws. Call my mother—she’ll tell you! She keeps it real. Sometimes you don’t want to hear the truth; she’ll tell it to you out of love. “
On Being Dark Skin Vs. The Standard Perception Of Beauty:
” European standards of beauty are something that plague the entire world—the idea that darker skin is not beautiful, that light skin is the key to success and love. Africa is no exception. When I was in the second grade, one of my teachers said,“Where are you going to find a husband? How are you going to find someone darker than you?” I was mortified. I remember seeing a commercial where a woman goes for an interview and doesn’t get the job. Then she puts a cream on her face to lighten her skin, and she gets the job! This is the message: that dark skin is unacceptable….
I definitely wasn’t hearing this from my immediate family—my mother never said anything to that effect—but the voices from the television are usually much louder than the voices of your parents. “
” Oprah played a big role in my understanding of what it meant to be female and to really step into your own power. I wouldn’t even call her a role model; she was literally a reference point. You have the dictionary, you have the Bible, you have Oprah.
.….Seeing Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah in The Color Purple, it dawned on me: “Oh—I could be an actress!” We plant the seed of possibility -says Lupita. “
Catch more and the full interview over at Glamour HERE