Lupita Nyong'o 'Most Beautiful' People: 'I Was Happy For The Girls Who Would See Me And Feel A Little More Seen'

Just a few months after winning her first Oscar, Lupita Nyong’o has been named "Most Beautiful" by People magazine. The 31-year-old stunner reached worldwide stardom via her role as a slave named Patsey in the pre-Civil War film “12 Years a Slave.”

Last year, when asked about how she’s dealing with her rising stardom, Nyong’o told People, “A lot of the time it feels quite magical and I feel it’s like an out-of-body experience.” Nyong’o, who was born in Mexico City but raised in Kenya, took Hollywood by storm after her performance earned rave reviews.

By March, she was giving an emotional acceptance speech for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

“No matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid,” she expressed in her inspiring speech.

Her sense of fashion seems to match her talent, as she's been the latest "it" girl in magazines from Elle to Vogue. And now, she is on the cover of People with the coveted annual title of “Most Beautiful.”

“It was exciting and just a major, major compliment,” Nyong’o tells People. “I was happy for all the girls who would see me on [it] and feel a little more seen.”

The dark-skinned beauty is certainly a rarity in Hollywood, and she acknowledged that she felt insecure growing up due to society’s beauty standards, which tend to equate to lighter skin and longer hair. In her interview with People, Nyong’o says she first equated beauty with what she saw on television.

“Light skin and long, flowing hair. Subconsciously you start to appreciate those things more than what you possess.” It was her mother, Dorothy, who always reminded her how beautiful she was. “I finally believed her at some point,” Nyong’o reveals.