Lupita's weighty Oscar

Lupita Nyong'o says the main way success has changed her life is that she now owns a "very heavy award".

The 31-year-old actress wowed with her portrayal of Patsey in last year's 12 Years a Slave, which picked her up a slew of awards, including the best supporting actress Oscar. She hasn't let success go to her head though, insisting day to day her life is very normal.

"Well, I have a very heavy award. But you know, besides becoming more visible, I can't really tell how it affects my life directly because I'm not the one in conversation about it," she told British magazine Hello! "To me, it's a reminder that things that seem impossible can be possible."

A by-product of her career is that Lupita now has a lot of young ladies looking up to her. She hopes to show them hard work can pay off and that it's never too late to realise your dreams; but at the same time she doesn't spend much time worrying about being a role model.

"It can be very overwhelming to think about it that way. But take Oprah [Winfrey], for instance: she does what she does and it has its effect, but she doesn't need to monitor everything or be aware of the reverberations of her actions. And that's what I'd like for myself," she said.

For Lupita, showing that anything is possible is the most important teaching she can impart on the world.

"I think our greatness lies not just in what we do, but also in what we inspire others to do," she said. "For example, [African-born model] Alex Wek didn't know I existed, yet she has so greatly influenced my life. She was just as effective without knowing I existed. So I don't feel pressured, because everything I've done so far, I have done for myself."