Lupita Nyong'o Had No Expectations of Landing '12 Years a Slave' Role

Lupita Nyong’o looks gorgeous on the cover of DuJour magazine’s latest issue.

Here’s what the 30-year-old 12 Years a Slave star had to share with the mag:

On her new found fame: “My life changed about three weeks ago. That’s when my schedule went from nil to this. Lots of people come up and touch my back and want to give me a hug. At this point, it’s not too crazy. I let them hug me.”

On auditioning for 12 Years a Slave: “When I learned Steve McQueen was directing and Brad Pitt was producing, I thought, Well, this is huge. I had no expectation of getting the role at all; it was just too out there for me to think I had a chance. So I approached the audition like a rehearsal. It was my chance to have that role for 10 minutes, and I owned it. Then I got the part and the panic began.”

On what she wants for her future: “I would love to have a career that’s governed by the material; I always want to be part of stories that I feel are worthwhile. And they don’t all have to be as heavy as 12 Years a Slave. I do my best work when I feel conviction to say something through the character I play. Always I want to have integrity and not compromise that.”

For more from Lupita, visit DuJour.com.