Go Behind the Scenes of Lupita Nyong’o’s TIME Photo Shoot

Actress Lupita Nyong’o dazzled everyone in her performance as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave — and the same was true when she stopped by TIME’s New York offices for a photo shoot.

In this week’s issue, Nyong’o was photographed by Sebastian Kim for TIME, who says she’s every bit as captivating in person. “I just wanted to capture a bare beauty shot of her,” says Kim. “It was easy, as she looked so beautiful. I really didn’t have to work hard.”