Its mid-April and Lupita Nyongois wearing a pair of old Christmas socks.
Of course, she says.
My socks are so silly today.
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Its hard to believe, but Nyongo says shes historically afraid of cats.
I suggested an armadillo; he was not having it.
Unwilling to give up the role, Nyongo disclosed her fear and underwent cat therapy before shooting.
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Her answer is simple: Scaring people is fun.
Nyongo relied on costar Joseph Quinn to help her stay present during scenes.
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He listens and hes very surprising, Nyongo says of Quinn.
My cat shows me how to relax.
He lies there all day.
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Every so often hell get up and hell do that cat stretch.
And its so elegant, he reminds me to get up and stretch.
Sams story is not so dissimilar to Nyongos own tale of success.
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But it did not at all prepare us for instant success.
And that is an overwhelming experience.
I was in my head, like say Lupita, like say Lupita, she says.
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And then he said it.
At first Nyongo didnt register that her name had been calledshe thought shed heard herself saying it.
My brother hit me on the back and screamed, she says.
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Then the room erupted.
Nyongo speaks about the moment with the same joy and reverence that was palpable in her acceptance speech.
I didnt think I wasnotgoing to win, she reasons.
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I hoped I would win.
It was my first film.
I had absolutely no expectation; I cannot stress that enough.
She was hailed as astyle star.
She waspitted againstfellow nominee Jennifer Lawrence.
She was rumored to bedatingJared Leto.
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All these things threatened to bring the mounting pressure of her position crumbling down.
I paid no attention, she says of the gossip.
The red carpet was new, everything was new to me.
It was drawing attention away from the work, she says.
I didnt want that sort of attention.
I didnt want all that chatter to deter from the joy I was having becoming his friend.
Being a public figure is something shes reflected on over the years.
Nyongo has been an outspoken voice for all three causes.
However, she isnt afraid to admit there are things she finds irritating about her position.
When I ask her to specify, she searches for the right words before answering me bluntly.
Interviews, she says, and I burst out laughing.
You asked, she adds with a shrug.
I have to be honest.
Im going to tell you.
She clarifies that she doesnt meanallinterviews.
Since then she has accepted the fact that she cant give 100% every day.
These days I allow myself to be a human being, she says.
Ive just found a way of forgiving myself for not being perfect.
As if on cue a cat saunters over to where were sitting and lets out a loudmeowin agreement.
I want everything that says cat.
I cant believe it, she says, her arms full of merch.
I hate shopping, she says as she checks out at the register.
She does, however, have a deep appreciation for fashion and dressing up.
I love red carpets.
You get to be Cinderella for a night, she says.
My life before the launch of my career did not involve a lot of ball gowns.
Now I wear so many, and I love it.
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Publicists were a little bit nervous about it because it was so bold, she says.
I felt like a superhero in it.
One of my publicists was so scared of it, and she was like, Maybe its too much.
My life before the launch of my career did not involve a lot of ball gowns.
Now I wear so many and I love it.
It was the first dress Nyongo and her longtime stylist, Micaela Erlanger, tried on for the event.
And that was one of those moments.
Off the red carpet, Nyongo considers herself to be an efficient dresser.
She likes to procrastinate and is always dressing up in a panic.
There isnt anything shewontwearthough she used to have a whole list.
Micaela somehow has worked in everything on that list so far, she says.
I said I never wanted to wear bias cuts.
I wore a bias cut yesterday.
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Nyongo had lived in Brooklyn for years, and I ask what prompted the change.
I wanted to move here for better weather and more space, she says like a new Angelino.
She loves her neighborhood, but shes not sold on the LA experience just yet.
Its very hard to find the vibe and the rhythm, the community, she admits.
I know fewer people here, so its a little bit socially awkward.
Now that shes settled, she hopes to expand her web connection and make some new friends.
Community is important to Nyongo, who was a little eccentric when she was a teenager.
I hoped I would win.
It was my first film.
I had absolutely no expectation; I cannot stress that enough.
I wasnt some outcast, but I had friends, she says.
Still, they allowed her to dress as she wanted as long as my grades were up.
I ask Nyongo if she felt confident during that time, which solicits a great laugh.
No, I was not, she insists, before sobering up.
I got teased a lot for being dark-skinned.
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The attention came with some complications, especially when people wanted to touch her skin or her braids.
When Nyongo returned to Kenya to finish high school, she came back changed.
I felt stronger in myself.
I felt more beautiful, she says.
Id gotten that validation in a way that I just hadnt had before.
To her, the future is formless and not something she can control.
I dont really spend my time designing a 10-year plan, because I dont know how long Ive got.
It was a rare display of vulnerability from Nyongo, who is notoriously private about her personal life.
I wanted to be honest, she explains as we drive along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Honestly, the thought of having to update people one at a time was going to be harrowing.
It wasnt an easy decision.
Nyongo wrestled with the idea and wanted to give herself the space and time to grieve.
Her eyes shift to the view over my shoulder and she pauses.
We stare in silence for a moment before she returns back to her thoughts.
I dont want to share that part of myself anymore.
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Its as if Nyongo is reading my mindand issuing a gentle warningabout asking more questions about her personal life.
Nyongo credits Yoyo for pulling her out of what she describes as a super-low point in her breakup.
I was really having a hard time believing in joy, she says.
I was flirting with depression.
I wasnt there yet, but I was flirting with it.
And I had a voice say in my head, Get a cat.
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There was a poster that said something like, Not over your ex?
Foster a cat, she says.
I guess the best anecdote for when you feel poorly taken care of is to take care of something.
And I took care of Yoyo and he pried my heart open.
First on the agenda is sleep; everything else will come after.
Restis something shes trying harder to prioritize.
Burnout, shes learned, can push you to the brink.
And when you finally break, the results can be devastating.
Luckily she has the perfect coach to help her unwind.
My cat shows me how to relax, she says.
He lies there all day.
Every so often hell get up and hell do that cat stretch.
As the car pulls over to my drop-off location, I ask her a parting question.
If you were an animal, which would you be: cat or dog?
Definitely a cat, she says.
People have told me Im very feline in the past.
And now that I have a cat, I understand.
It reminds me of a conversation we had earlier.
Cats, wed decided, are much more nuanced than dogs; they are moody and unpredictable.
They get jealous and vengeful.
They want solitude yet crave attention.
They can fall from great heights but recover and get back up.
Theyre like people, I offered and she agreed.
Yeah, they are.
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