Lupita Nyong'o is the cover of the Vogue magazine's October issue, wherein she revealed she had no concept of race until age 20 -- when she first arrived in the United States.
"As Africans, we don't grow up with a racial identity," the 32-year-old Mexican-Kenyan actress told Plum Sykes in the magazine's forthcoming cover story. "We grow up with cultural and ethnic identity before racial identity. I never used the word black as a child. It was never a thing. When was I ever discussing black? Why?"
Yet Lupita's presence on the cover of the 123-year-old publication is truly remarkable. Hers is one of fewer than 35 covers to have included a standalone black celebrity, Huffington Post reported.
The cover girl stunned in her golden metallic Valentino Haute Couture dress with geometric cutouts. It was her seductive appearance which complemented her smoky eyes and plum lips. Photographers Marcus Piggott and Mert Alas really made sure that the photos will look elegant and extraordinary.
The actress also talked about her early fashion education in Nairobi, Kenya. She recalled a "very eighties" miniskirt with suspenders she sported at age five.
"Presentation is extremely important in Kenya," the Mexican-born beauty told Plum. "You dress formally. You can't just wear flip-flops."
"My mother always had her own style," the "12 Years of Slave" star continued. "She wore A-line, tea-length flowery dresses, very well fitting. Her nails were always perfectly done."
She also revealed she prefers doing dramatic roles than other characters, adding she loves playing personas that would stretch her talent and will let her know everything about "humanity in a different way."
The multi-awarded star also confessed she feels more American than being Kenyan. "The idea that you can be self-made is very vibrant in America," she said.
Meanwhile, the Yale School of Drama alumna will play a role in the forthcoming "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" movie. Film director J.J. Abrams divulge in a statement that he is looking forward to work with Oscar's Best Supporting Actress, International Design Times reported.
"We needed a powerful actress to play a powerful character," the 49-year-old producer said. He added that Lupita was someone he doesn't know a thing about but he is "enormously fond of."
The October issue of Vogue hits newsstands on Tuesday.
