Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has said she was “conditioned to reject” her complexion but felt permission to value it thanks to the Sudanese-British model Alek Wek.
The Black Panther star, 41, told Harper’s Bazaar UK that Wek was a “turning point” for her.
“Her (Wek’s) existence was radical for me”, she said.
“The very fact that she was a successful model, and that people were ascribing to her the word ‘beautiful’, was revolutionary.
Lupita Nyong’o attending the Vanity Fair Oscar Party (Doug Peters/PA)
“It was so confronting to me because I had been conditioned to reject my complexion.
“(Wek) was the turning point for me. I thought, ‘Oh, I have permission to value my complexion.’”
Nyong’o, who was born in Mexico and grew up in Kenya, won the best supporting actress Oscar in 2014 for her role in 12 Years A Slave.
Reflecting on whether she feels a responsibility after her win, she said: “When I think of the word responsibility, it feels burdensome.
“I don’t feel burdened, but motivated and interested in expanding global understanding of African perspectives and cultures.
“It’s more about opportunity than responsibility.”
Lupita Nyong’o stars on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar UK (Harper’s Bazaar UK/Alexi Lubomirski/PA)
Speaking about her movie roles, she added: “Every time I’m considering a new role, I have to consult my intuition about whether or not I should go down that road.
“I’ve gotten it wrong sometimes. When I look back, I see I didn’t listen to my intuition because fear fogged my judgment.”
Discussing what it was like to move to the US, having been brought up in Kenya, she said: “Despite the fact that I had watched American television all my life, moving to Western Massachusetts was a shock.
“I found myself feeling very lonely and lost. It felt like an identity crisis. Like wearing someone else’s clothes.”
Nyong’o stars on the cover of the November issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK, on sale from October 10.