Lupita Nyong'o credits Ralph Fiennes for her acting career, insisting James Bond's new boss gave her the encouragement to chase her dreams while she was working as a runner on the set of The Constant Gardener.
The 12 Years a Slave star reveals the Brit gave her advice about the industry and gave her the information she needed to find a career in acting.
She said: "He asked me what I wanted to do with my life, and I very timidly admitted that I was interested in being an actor. He sighed and said, 'If there's something else that you want to do, do that. Only act if you feel you can't live without it.'
"It wasn't what I wanted to hear, but it was the thing I needed to hear."
The actress went on to graduate from Yale University School of Drama's Acting programme in 2012, and she makes her film debut in Steve McQueen's new slavery drama.
Speaking about a run in with the paparazzi, she told New York magazine: "I don't know who they were waiting for, but they definitely chased me down, which is a startling, disturbing experience. I did not expect it. I went into flight mode."
Lupita will next appear alongside Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore in 'Non-Stop' but claims she still hasn't come to terms with her success in '12 Years a Slave' and new-found fame.
She added: "I haven't gotten used to being recognised. I was blissfully ignorant of the magnitude of the project I was in or what it was going to mean for the world."
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