Since stepping out on the red carpet at the Golden Globes wearing a red cape Ralph Lauren gown, 12 Years a Slave star Lupita Nyong’o has become a big name in fashion.
She’s been making the top of best dressed lists on every red carpet since then, but during a speech at Essence magazine's seventh annual Women in Hollywood luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Nyong’o spoke openly about her insecurities.
As a young girl, she said she was teased about the dark hue of her skin.
"I got teased and taunted about my skin. My one prayer to God was that I would wake up lighter skinned,” she admitted, Huffington Post reports.
“The morning would come and I would be so excited about seeing my new skin that I would refuse to look down at myself until I was in front of the mirror because I wanted to see my face first. Every day I would feel the disappointment of being just as dark as the day before."
Although her skin tone had “always been an obstacle to overcome,” when she started seeing the attention model Alek Wek was getting, “a flower couldn't help but bloom inside of me." Wek, a Sudanese British model, had the same dark complexion as Nyong’o.
Her inspiring story ended with the actress expressing she wants to be that inspiration to another young girl out there, just as Wek had been so inspiring to her.
Nyong’o is up for Best Supporting Actress at Sunday’s Oscars, for her work in 12 Years a Slave.
image: ABC