Oprah Winfrey and Lupita Nyong'o are expected to compete against each other for Best Supporting Actress at the 86th annual Academy Awards ceremony, but their rivalry will be of the friendly variety.
Speaking to Vanity Fair's Julie Miller at Fox Searchlight's holiday party in Los Angeles, Nyong'o relayed a story about meeting Winfrey for the first time.
"I did the Hollywood Reporter roundtable with her. I was sitting at my makeup station and the hair stylist looked at me in the mirror and mouthed, 'Oprah.' I was like, 'What?!'" Nyongo'o, who stars in Fox Searchlight's "12 Years A Slave," told Miller. "It was like slow motion. I got up. I turned around and she was there. Her arms were outstretched and she gave me a big hug. She was like, 'You were amazing!'"
Winfrey, who plays a key supporting role in "Lee Daniels' The Butler," has said she was profoundly affected by "12 Years A Slave," which is based on the memoir by Solomon Northup and provides a first-hand account of his time spent as a slave in Louisiana.
"It's impossible for me to talk about it," Winfrey said in an interview with the BBC. "I can't even talk about it. Devastating."
For more from Nyong'o, head to Vanity Fair.
[via VF.com]
