Lupita Nyong'o Eats Her Sandwiches With a Knife and Fork

Maybe “uptight” is not the correct word, but writer Alex Morris definitely wants you to know that Nyong’o certainly seems… proper:

“I thrive on structure,” she says. “I find my freedom in structure. It was very hard to adjust to an individualistic and very liberal system. I mean, my upbringing, I would iron my clothes every night. I would plan what I wore the night before, and then I would iron it. That’s just the way my mom raised us. Then I got to Hampshire, where clothing is sometimes optional and all this kind of thing. I was mortified.” She raises a perfectly arched brow and cuts into her sandwich with a knife and fork.

The piece also delves a bit into her background, how she made the decision to apply to the Yale School of Drama, and how she was cast in 12 Years A Slave. Although it’s all very safe and restrained; this is not a gushy, over-sharey Jennifer Lawrence-esque profile. No juicy gossip or spilled secrets. Nyong’o keeps things very professional and reserved. But when it comes to her skin tone — something we’ve discussed here — 12 Years director Steve McQueen hopes for the best:

“You know, there’s been a lot said about dark-skinned black actresses and the limitations they have within film. Well, I just hope that directors and other creative people have the idea of putting her in great and interesting projects, because she’s extraordinary.”

Full article here; slideshow of intensely beautiful and colorful images here.