--- description: Lupita Nyong'o won Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave, then gave an acceptance speech reminding viewers of her own personal journey while also giving a nod to history, saying the dead "are greatful" they brought the past to life title: Oscars 2014: Watch Lupita Nyong’o’s Emotional Acceptance Speech image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b32a4484f9e713a/69868373e53aba8be44d13d6/lupita-nyongo-oscar-acceptance-speech.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Oscars](/tag/oscars/) ## Oscars Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Oscars 2014: Watch Lupita Nyong'o's Emotional Acceptance Speech  by [Lily Rothman](/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Mar 3, 2014 3:28 AM CUT  Lupita Nyong'o, best supporting actress winner for her role in "12 Years a Slave", speaks on stage at the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California March 2, 2014. Lupita Nyong'o, best supporting actress winner for her role in "12 Years a Slave", speaks on stage at the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California March 2, 2014.Lucy Nicholson—Reuters  by [Lily Rothman](/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Mar 3, 2014 3:28 AM CUT A year ago, most of the world hadn’t heard of Lupita Nyong’o — but in her acceptance speech for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar she just took home for her work in _12 Years a Slave_, she reminded viewers that there’s a long history behind how she got to that stage. “It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is due to so much pain in someone else’s,” she said in reference to Patsey, the slave she portrayed in the acclaimed film, which was based on a real-life memoir. (**PHOTOS**: [Celebrities Walk the Oscars Red Carpet](http://entertainment.time.com/2014/03/02/your-favorite-celebrities-walk-the-2014-oscars-red-carpet/ "undefined")) In addition to thanking the usual Academy Awards suspects — castmates, her drama school, the Academy — she drew attention to the real people whose stories she helped bring to the big screen: Speaking to director Steve McQueen, she noted that the dead are watching, and that she believes “they are grateful” that he brought their history back to life. But her speech didn’t just stick to the past. In a tear-jerking conclusion, she expressed her wish that her unknown-to-Oscars trajectory would inspire someone watching at home to go for it — because, as she explained: “No matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.” Watch her speech below. (**MORE**:[ Give All the Awards to Lupita Nyong’o for Her Inspirational Speech About Beauty](http://entertainment.time.com/2014/02/28/lupita-nyongo-essence-black-beauty "undefined")) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/11179/lupita-nyongo-best-supporting-actress-oscars-speech/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/11179/lupita-nyongo-best-supporting-actress-oscars-speech/"},"headline":"Oscars 2014: Watch Lupita Nyong'o's Emotional Acceptance Speech","datePublished":"2014-03-03T03:28:20.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T06:31:57.173Z","description":"Lupita Nyong'o won Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave, then gave an acceptance speech reminding viewers of her own personal journey while also giving a nod to history, saying the dead \"are greatful\" they brought the past to life","url":"https://time.com/11179/lupita-nyongo-best-supporting-actress-oscars-speech/","keywords":["Oscars","Lupita Nyong'o"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b32a4484f9e713a/69868373e53aba8be44d13d6/lupita-nyongo-oscar-acceptance-speech.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lily Rothman","jobTitle":"Rothman is managing editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b32a4484f9e713a/69868373e53aba8be44d13d6/lupita-nyongo-oscar-acceptance-speech.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Lupita Nyong'o, best supporting actress winner for her role in \"12 Years a Slave\", speaks on stage at the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California March 2, 2014.","caption":"Lupita Nyong'o, best supporting actress winner for her role in \"12 Years a Slave\", speaks on stage at the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California March 2, 2014.","creditText":"Lucy Nicholson—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/oscars/","name":"Oscars"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/11179/lupita-nyongo-best-supporting-actress-oscars-speech/","name":"Oscars 2014: Watch Lupita Nyong'o's Emotional Acceptance Speech"}}]}] ```