Life

F**k It Fridays: Lupita Nyong'o

Celebrating the power of just saying, 'F**K IT'!

Friday, March 11, 2016 - 09:59

HEY GANG. Welcome back to F**k It Friday - a weekly feature from MTV Breaks that’s all about saying a big “f**k yeah” to the most excellent people who’ve said “f**k it” (probably) and taken a leap of faith to make big things happen.

Cos it’s not about just having ideas – it’s about believing in yourself, and making them happen. AMIRIGHT?

So who’s next up in the FIF roll call of honour? Drumroll….it’s Oscar winner and force awakener Lupita Nyong'o!

Before she was raking in the awards for 12 Years A Slave and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, solidifying her place at the very top of the movie scene, Lupita was studying Spanish and film in Mexico. One summer vacation though, back in her native Kenya, she heard a rumour that Ralph Fiennes was shooting a new film (The Constant Gardener) just down the road.

Knowing she wanted to work in film but not really knowing where to start, Lupita said f**k it (probably) and headed down there, offered to work for free in any way she could and began searching for Ralph around the set.

After getting in trouble for accidentally interrupting the film’s director when trying to speak to Fiennes, she eventually managed to get a word in. He then told her that she should persue acting only if it was it was something she couldn’t imagine doing without.

Deciding that she couldn’t do without, but still with no idea where to go next, Lupita said f**k it (probably) again and took matters into her own hands, writing, directing, editing and producing her own documentary In My Genes. From there she caught the eye of our very own MTV Shuga and began to make her way to a galaxy far, far away. F**K YEAH, Lupita.

Check out last week’s “f**k it" hero here.

Have you ever said “f**k it” and taken a chance? Would you like to? Or want to nominate someone for next week? Hit us up on @mtvbreaks with your stories.

Women Who Are Rocking Our World Right Now

J-Law said a big “f**k that” to sexism in Hollywood when she penned a powerful essay for pal Lena Dunham’s newsletter Lenny, talking frankly about her views on industry sexism, wage gaps and being too scared to speak up

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“As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there – there are going to be people along the way that try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments.”

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Ava DuVernay is the first black female director to have her film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, and last year she was chosen as one of Mattel’s ‘Sheroes” and turned into an ACTUAL BARBIE. It sold out in minutes

Instagram

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Yes, she makes us lol on the regular, but Amy Schumer’s not afraid to get serious when necessary. In the last year we’ve seen her advocating for stricter gun control laws, and boldly posing nude for the 2016 Pirelli calendar

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From the moment she launched HeForShe at the UN, Emma Watson has been a woman on a mission. She got all of Hollywood talking, and now she’s taking a year off acting to focus on feminism. Check out her brand new Wired cover with Tom Hanks, too

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Where to start? Zendaya took a stand when E! News host Giuliana Rancic made some dodgy comments about her hair. She’s shared un-edited mag shoot pics on her Instagram. "Some people like to say the word bossy. I prefer the word leader, or just boss"

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Mya Taylor made history this year when she became the first transgender performer to win a major film acting award for Best Supporting Female in Tangerine. “There has been a shift,” she said. “Years ago we avoided the topic… it was an age of sexism."

Twitter

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Sick of being judged for her dating history and past job as a stripper, Amber Rose fought back. Big time. She led LA’s first SlutWalk to protest sexual injustice, and turned up to the VMAs with BFF Blac Chyna in a bodysuit covered in insults

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Nicki Minaj has proved that feminism doesn’t mean losing your femininity – it’s totally possible to show off your buns (hun) and still be a campaigner for equality. Nicki is also passionate about encouraging her Barbz to stay in school and get educated

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Amandla Stenberg called out Instagram queen Kylie Jenner for misappropriating black culture, she shut down racist trolls who criticized her casting in The Hunger Games, she recently came out as bisexual… Oh, and she’s only 17-years-old

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Not content with being known as a Victoria’s Secret model, Karlie Kloss is also making a huge impact on the tech world. A keen coder, she launched the Kode with Karlie scholarship, offering young women the chance to attend a summer program

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When Viola Davis became the first African American to win a Best Actress Emmy for her role in How To Get Away With Murder she gave an acceptance speech that went straight into the history books: “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there"

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YouTube royalty Tanya Burr is using her immense platform to do some serious good. She’s just announced the #TimeForGirls initiative, which sets out to “make our world more equal, more inclusive and as a result better in every way”. Amazing

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