You watched Lupita Nyong’o’s unrelenting performance in 12 Years a Slave that got her an Oscar nod, and watched her grace the red carpets of the Golden Globes. But Nyong’o harbors much more than her beauty and acting talents…

Nyong’o’s parents were politcal refugees who moved to Mexico City, Mexico. But when she was a year old, her father was hired to be a professor at a University, and they moved back to Kenya. However, Nyong’o returned to Mexico when she was 16-years old for a few months to learn Spanish.

Though she graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in Film and African Studies, she later enrolled in an acting program at the prestigious Yale School of Drama–where she appeared in numerous stage productions. And almost immediately after graduating from Yale, she was cast for 12 Years a Slave.

She appeared on a MTV produced mini-series titled Shuga, where she stared as Ayira in 5 episodes.

She not only stared in the MTV mini-series, Shuga; but also co-directed with the acclaimed South African director, Teboho Mahatsi.

Nyong’o also worked on the production teams of the critically acclaimed films The Constant Gardener (2005) and The Namesake (2006).

Nyong’o has also been nominated for 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards and 20 other awards, as well as having 15 other nominations pending.

Nyong’o currently calls Brooklyn home, where she lives with her brother.

She just wrapped up a new movie with Liam Neeson, Non-Stop, which will be released this year (2014). Nyong’o will play the role of Gwen.

This year (2014), Nyong’o was chosen to be one of the faces for Miu Miu’s Spring 2014 campaign, where she will be alongside other rising stars like Elle Fanning and Bella Heathcote.