Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o is a photographers dream. She is currently appearing in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ and has another highly anticipated film ‘Black Panther’ set for release on 16 February 2018.

Lupita is on the cover of the January 2018 issue of Vogue. The image was shot by one of my favorite photographers Mikael Jansson. Here are some of my favorite parts of the interview:

ON BEING IN ‘BLACK PANTHER: “The little Kenyan child in me leaped for joy because it’s such an affirmation. What colonialism does is cause an identity crisis about one’s own culture.”

ON BEING STEREOTYPED AS A WOMAN OF COLOR: “I got such a head start in this industry that it is not in my best interest to look for struggle. That’s such a powerless place for me to think about: what is working against me. I don’t think of what I don’t have; I think of what I do, and use that to get the next thing.”

ON PROTECTING HER CREATIVITY: “It’s a finite reservoir, so it’s important that I safeguard it with my life.”

ON BEING A MINORITY IN THE FILM INDUSTRY: “I am here. I am happy to be here. I know this industry was not made for me. But I’m not going to apologize for being here.”

Lupita always seems to come from a place of joy, fun and intelligence. She’s definitely not one to let others stop her army from marching forward which is refreshing.

If you missed it, make sure you check out the powerful OpEd she penned about her experience with Harvey Weinstein.

In the meantime, I’ve curated 10 stunning portraits of Lupita in color and monochrome shot by Jansson and Mario Testino. Enjoy!

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