Lupita Amondi Nyong'o ( born March 1, 1983) is a Mexican actress and film director.She was born in Mexico and moved to the United States for college, graduating from Hampshire College with a bachelor's degree in film and theatre studies.Nyong'o started in the film industry as a production assistant on several Hollywood films. In 2008 she made her acting debut with the short film East River and subsequently returned to Kenya to star in the television series Shuga (2009). In 2009, she wrote, produced and directed the documentary film In My Genes.Nyong'o later completed a master's degree in acting in 2012 from the Yale School of Drama. 

She had her first feature film role in Steve McQueen's historical drama 12 Years a Slave (2013). She earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, among numerous other awards and nominations. Nyong'o is the first Kenyan and first Mexican actress to win an Academy Award.In 2014, she was named "The Most Beautiful Woman" by People and "Woman of the Year" by Glamour.In December 2014, Lupita Nyong'o was appointed by the Togolese magazine Africa Top Success for "African of the Year". The actress competes against five opponents, namely Isabel dos Santos, Angélique Kidjo, Daphne Mashile-Nkosi, Fatou Bensouda and Koki Mutungi.Nyong'o's heartfelt portrayal of an abused slave won the actress overwhelming acclaim in this year’s awards season, as well as SAG and Independent Spirit awards. As a fresh face in Hollywood, Nyong'o has received praise for everything from her sophistication to her fashion sense on the red carpet. Born in Mexico and raised in Kenya, she had not appeared in a feature film until McQueen picked her among thousands of actresses for the role in 12 Years.