Lupita nyong'o

Every single laundromat, grocery store, everything is called 'Lupita' in Mexico.

Being a part of '12 Years a Slave' has been one of the most profound experiences of my life.

I never, in my wildest dreams, could I have thought that the first role I get out of school would lead to an Oscar nomination.

I do my best work when I feel conviction to say something through the character I play. Always I want to have integrity and not compromise that.

There's always a sense of newness with acting, because every role, you come to every role fresh.

I have the opportunity to learn about the fashion world, and I appreciate it as an art form... But I never want it to take over my acting.

I am thrilled beyond words that The Academy has recognized my performance in Steve McQueen's '12 Years a Slave,' and I am deeply proud to be in the company of my fellow nominees.

It's only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you're not expressing the utmost of your human experience.

I learned at Yale, one of the biggest lessons was to learn how special I am and therefore how totally unspecial I am. I was special among everyone else who was special. The fact that we're all so...

My mother talked about the stories I used to spin as a child of three, before I started school. I would tell this story about what school I went to and what uniform I wore and who I talked to at...