With an Oscar on her shelf for her role in 12 Years a Slave and her highly anticipated role in Star Wars The Force Awakens just around the corner, Lupita Nyong’o takes a momemt to discuss the scrutiny that comes with all the fame.
“I don’t think being conspicuous is a state we’re supposed to live in, or at least not permanently,” Nyong’o, 32, tells ELLE UK.
The Jungle Book actress, who was Lancôme’s first black ambassador, adds that it’s easy to become invisible to yourself if you don’t see yourself on the TV.
“There was very little of myself that I saw on TV, or in the movies that I was watching, or in magazines that were lying around the salons or around the house. And so these are subconscious things,” she explains. “Yes, Western beauty standards are things that affect the entire world. And then what happens? You’re a society that doesn’t value darker skin.”
She adds: “I wish there was a dial we could turn up and down. And in a sense I can, by making very deliberate choices about what I do and when and how, and with whom.”
