Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o named People's most beautiful

Actress Lupita Nyong'o arrives at the 86th Academy Awards nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills, California on Feb 10, 2014. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
Actress Lupita Nyong'o arrives at the 86th Academy Awards nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills, California on Feb 10, 2014. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
Actress Lupita Nyong'o attends the Dujour Magazine Winter 2013-2014 Cover Star Lupita Nyong'o celebration hosted by Jason Binn at Butter Restaurant on Feb 19, 2014 in New York City. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Lupita Nyong'o attends the 45th NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, California on Feb 22, 2014. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
Cast member Lupita Nyong'o poses at the premiere of the film Non-Stop in Los Angeles on Feb 24, 2014. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
Actress Lupita Nyong'o attends 7th Annual ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon on Feb 27, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Nominee for Best Supporting Female award Lupita Nyong'o from 12 Years a Slave arrives at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California on March 1, 2014. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
Actress Lupita Nyong'o attends the Women in Film Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party Presented by Perrier-Jouet, MAC & MaxMara at the Fig & Olive Melrose Place on Feb 28, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Actress Lupita Nyong'o attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Actress Lupita Nyong'o attends the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter on March 2, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. -- PHOTO: AFP
This file picture dated on March 2, 2014 shows actress Lupita Nyong'o celebrating after winning the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role award for '12 Years a Slave' in the press room during the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Actress Lupita Nyong'o attends the 25th annual GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, California on April 12, 2014. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
This file picture dated on March 2, 2014 shows actress Lupita Nyong'o celebrating after winning the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role award for '12 Years a Slave' in the press room during the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Oscar-winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o was named Most Beautiful person of 2014 by People magazine on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, following in the footsteps of stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise. -- PHOTO: AFP

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Oscar-winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o was named Most Beautiful person of 2014 by People magazine on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, following in the footsteps of stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise.

The 31-year-old, who won best supporting actress for her role in 12 Years A Slave, said she only felt beautiful when she left Kenya aged 16, and learnt the importance of looks from her mother.

"She taught me that your presentation is an expression of how much you care about yourself and those around you," she told the magazine, a Hollywood celebrity bible.

"My mother always said I was beautiful. When I went to Mexico at 16, that was the first time I felt beautiful."

Following Nyong'o as People's top beauty was Keri Russell in second place, followed by Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Mindy Kaling, and singer Pink in fifth.

Other past winners of the Most Beautiful person accolade include Cindy Crawford, Mel Gibson and Leonardo DiCaprio.

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