VIDEO: Lupita Nyong’o Gives Inspirational Speech About Beauty

Lupita Nyong’o might well be the favourite to pick up the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress this weekend and she might well be the most stylish woman in Hollywood at the moment, but this week she opened up about how she was once very insecure. The 12 Years a Slave star took to the stage to collect the award for Best Breakthrough Performance at this year’s Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood luncheon. During her emotional acceptance speech, the 31-year-old actress spoke about how she once felt “unbeautiful” and prayed to God for lighter skin. She also explained that she hoped her presence could inspire young girls, including the one that had written her a letter, the way she had been inspired.