Sunday Style cover
Nyong’o appears on the cover of a December 2014 issue of Sunday Style magazine. She talks about her career as an actress.
Glamour cover
Nyong’o appears on the December cover of Glamour as one of the magazine’s Women of the Year 2014. Nyong’o discusses winning the Oscar.
I don’t think I will ever be able to really articulate how bizarre it was to hear my name at the Academy Awards. I’d watched in my pajamas the year before! I felt numb — dazed and confused. I remember feeling light — weightless. More like limbo than cloud nine.
Vogue cover
The actress appears on the cover of the July 2014 issue of Vogue magazine. Nyong’o discusses her role 12 Years a Slave.
I remember it being one of the most joyful times in my life—and also one of the most sorrowful. I didn’t want my experience to be a vain one. But I will say that when I watched it, my heartstrings were pulled so tight for [the main character] Solomon that I couldn’t go into the ego trip. I cried—I mean, I was inconsolable. I wept for an hour after the movie.
People cover
Nyong’o appears on the cover of People to discuss her Oscar win, beauty, and radiant personality.
Beauty was what I saw on television, you know, light skin and long, flowing, straight hair. Subconsciously you start to appreciate those things more than what you possess.
Shadow & Act interview
Nyong’o discusses her perspective on her role as a slave woman in 12 Years a Slave. She talks about the extreme emotions that went into playing the role along with the other cast members on set.
Everyone knew that this was going to be a hard day, not just for me, but for everyone involved. And we just went about getting it done.
Tavis Smiley interview
Nyong’o discusses her role in 12 Years a Slave and the fanfare surrounding her life in the aftermath of the movie in this interview for PBS.
I was heartbroken when I read her story, and I felt a deep sense of sympathy. I felt so sorry for her. I realized then that I had a lot of work to do in order to be able to actually play her. Because playing – seeing someone sympathetically is a judgment of their situation rather than an advocacy for where they are and what they’re fighting for. So I had my work cut out for me, but I had a gut reaction to her.
Albinism interview
Nyong’o shares her experience coming to America. She reflects on how important it is to her to see herself as Black now that she is in America, after studying albinism.
Albinism in particular was an interesting subject because they’re the one group of people that unify all races. Having come to the United States was the first time that I really had to consider myself as being black and to learn what my race meant. Because race is such an important part of understanding American society.
