#WCW Lupita Nyong’o
She may not play The Girl on Fire or The Black Widow but Lupita Nyong’o plays an inspiring slave character, Patsey, in the Oscar-winning movie “12 Years a Slave”. Born in Mexico and raised in Kenya this up and coming actress is the new celebrity role model for girls. Nyong’o completed a master’s degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama and had previously written, directed, and produced films and music videos. Due to her role in “12 Years a Slave” she has recently received an incredible amount of attention. She won the Academy Award for supporting actress at the Oscars and the same award at the Screen Actors Guild awards, but she claims it was not an easy role to play. She says “there was an underlying stream of grief at all times…there was a deep pain in Patsey throughout and living that pain was not easy but I felt privileged to have that opportunity”. Similar to Jennifer Lawrence, Nyong’o has a down-to-earth personality that makes her a perfect role model for girls, but we’re also looking to her as a fashion role model.
Lately she has been the star of red carpets everywhere, and it’s easy to see why. The beautiful actress is wearing the most beautiful dresses on the red carpet. Nyong’o carries herself with confidence and dares to wear outfits that are as unique as her skin color. However, she wasn’t always as confident in her beauty as she seems today. Nyong’o used to not think of herself as beautiful, in large part due to her extremely dark skin, but now she says, “I hope that my presence on your screens and in the magazines may lead you, young girl, on a similar journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty”.
Not only does Lupita Nyong’o play inspiring roles in films and a fashion icon, but she is sending out a positive message to girls everywhere. She is truly celebrity role model who earned her fame. So forget Beyoncé or Katy Perry for this week’s #WomanCrushWednesday, Lupita Nyong’o deserves our hashtags.