Lupita Nyong'o has described 12 Years A Slave as an ‘emotionally taxing’ acting experience.
Nyong’o has been whipping up a storm with the critics with her performance as Patsey in Steve McQueen’s harrowing slavery drama.
The actress plays slave Patsey, who suffer physical and sexual abuse at the hander of plantation of Epps - played by Michael Fassbender.
Speaking ton U.S. breakfast show Live! With Kelly and Michael, the actress said: "I did a lot of self care... because 12 Years A Slave was an emotionally taxing thing to go through...
"Just going there to that emotional place was hard so it was really important for me to remind myself that I was not Patsey after all".
12 Years a Slave marks the feature film debut for Nyong’o having previously worked in shorts and television.
Nyong’o’s incredible performance has already earnt her Best Supporting Actress nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards, Satellite Awards and Gotham Independent Film Awards. She could well find herself in the running for a Golden Globe and an Oscar over the coming months.
12 Years A Slave is based on the memoir by Solomon Northup and sees Nyong'o and Fassbender joined on the cast list by Chiwetel Ejifor, Brad Pitt and Benedict Cumberbatch.
12 Years A Slave is released 10th January 2014.
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