Lupita Nyong'o says Fame can be embarrassing

South Africa finest actress Lupita Nyong'o finds it mortifying when she's recognised while waiting to use the toilet.

According to Cover Media, the 31-year-old actress was the toast of the town during 2014's awards season, winning the best supporting actress Oscar and many other accolades for her role in 12 Years a Slave. Although she's had time to process all that now, there are still periods when she forgets how famous she is.

“The not-so-fun part of all this is that when I don't feel like being famous, I still am," she told Lucky magazine. "When you're in the middle of Manhattan and you have to pop into Starbucks to use the restroom and everyone recognises you when you're waiting in line, it's awkward.”

Lupita shot to fame quickly, but her family and friends have made sure it's not gone to her head. Her mother Dorothy has always been a no-nonsense kind of woman, meaning the star's upbringing was at times a little strict.

“My mother has never ever worn a drop of make-up in her life, not even at a wedding," she explained. "Honestly, my mother's outlook was hard for me to take when I was a teenager and wanted to experiment."

This could also be part of the reason why Lupita approaches fame differently to some other stars. She isn't interested in stripping off for sexy shoots or doing things to raise her profile, instead she likes thinking of how she can better the world. That means she considers everything she posts on sites like photo-sharing Instagram in great detail before popping them up for the world to see.

“I'm governed by things that made me smile, laugh and think," she said. "And if they do that to me, then I ask myself, would anybody else care to see this?”