Lupita Nyong’o covers the new issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK. It’s a beautiful cover, right? She’s so flawless. It’s like she’s being lit from within. This Bazaar feature is called “The New Face of Beauty”. You can read Bazaar UK’s excerpts here and here are some highlights:

The buzz around her: “You know, I thought it would come to an end after the Oscars. I thought the Oscars would come and go and then all of a sudden everything would be back to normal and I’d be back in my apartment.’

The Oscar season: “You know what kept me sane? Not knowing. Having never really experienced that before… because this was new territory I had no normal. I had no sense of what was normal in that world. It was all new. I don’t think [I would attend that many events again]. Not to that extent.”

What kept her sane: “Emma Thompson, Emma Thompson, Emma Thompson, Emma Thompson. It was such a relief… witnessing her going through that whole thing with an ease and a playfulness and just abandon. That is like the person I want to be. I want to be that comfortable even in this very alien environment that you get put in.”

Her emotional awards speeches: “I wish that I took it more lightly sometimes because it costs a lot. Which is why I can’t do those speeches every weekend, because it costs a lot to share from such a deep place, if you will. But I don’t know how to speak from any other place. Kenyans are very ceremonial. There is a formality that comes with gatherings and comes from our colonial conditioning… Oratory is something that’s really important to Kenyans, the way one speaks to the masses, it’s an art almost.”

The responsibility she feels: “I don’t feel like the responsibility I feel comes from any place other than my gut. I feel a responsibility to speak about certain things because I wish someone had spoken about them for me. I know I’m in a unique position where lots of people all over the world are seeing me and connecting with me, and perhaps because of my demographic and how limited representation is for my demographic, I do feel not a responsibility but an impetus to speak. It’s an impetus… It’s 2015, man. We could all use some diversity. It can get tedious to have to explain that I speak English because Kenyans speak English.”

[From Bazaar UK & E! News]

I love her but I wish she had more to discuss than winning the Oscar last year. But Lupita is thriving, thank God. It would have been awful for all of us if her career just withered after her Oscar-winning performance in 12 Years a Slave. Lupita has spent the past year quietly working and building up a portfolio of projects. She filmed a part in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She’s doing voice work for one of the adaptations of The Jungle Book. And just a few days ago, she arrived in Uganda to begin filming Queen of Katwe. Queen of Katwe is based on the true story of chess wunderkind Phionah Mutesi, who trained to become an international chess champion. Lupita will play the girl’s mother and David Oyelowo plays the chess coach.

A few days ago, Lupita was the guest of honor at a fundraiser for the Maisha gardens in Buziga – you can see some photos from the event here. Apparently, Lupita was a huge hit and everyone wanted to talk to her. I think Ugandans are very proud that Lupita has come to their country to film a movie.

Here’s an exclusive first look at my @bazaaruk @LancomeUK @Lancomeofficial cover!

A photo posted by Lupita Nyong’o (@lupitanyongo) on Mar 31, 2015 at 12:00pm PDT

Cover courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar UK, Instagram.