I grew up in Nairobi, which is the capital of Kenya, so it's hustle and bustle, and there's always something going on.

Steve McQueen is a genius. And I think that word is overused, but I think with Steve it's rightly used. He's a genius.

You win an Oscar, and immediately people ask how you feel. So you don't have time to actually feel anything because you have to generate a response. And then some of the feelings you have are so intimate and visceral, words don't really do them justice.

Everyone said, ‘Brace yourself, Lupita! Keep a granola bar in that clutch of yours!’ I didn’t really understand what they meant, and it was only once it was past that I realized that my body had been holding on by a thread to get through this very intense experience. Nothing can prepare you for awards season. The red carpet feels like a war zone, except you cannot fly or fight; you just have to stand there and take it.

I always love to learn new things. That's the reason I like being an actor.

I like to wear things, I don't like things to wear me.

I never, in my wildest dreams, could I have thought that the first role I get out of school would lead to an Oscar nomination.