Oscars: Lupita Nyong’o’s Dress Dazzles, She Plays It Cool on the Red Carpet (Video)

The “12 Years a Slave” actress, nominated for Best Supporting Actress, spoke about her birthday and childhood dreams

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

When Ryan Seacrest asked Lupita Nyong’o the question he asks all first-time Oscar nominees, really just a request for confirmation that walking the red carpet is obviously a real dream come true, Lupita Nyong’o gave a very unexpected answer.

Also read: The Complete Oscars Winners and Nominees List (Updating Live)

“Surprisingly enough, I never envisioned it,” the actress told Seacrest. “I didn’t grow up watching Oscars. So it’s something I came to understand when I was in college. My dream to be an actor. I didn’t know it came with all of this.”

Nyong’o is a front-runner for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “12 Years a Slave,” and a win could cap quite a weekend for the first-time nominee. She celebrated her 31st birthday on Saturday with aplomb, as she told Seacrest: “I went to the Independent Spirit Awards and won!”

See photos: Oscar Nominees in Pictures (Photos)

Nyong’o has quickly become Twitter’s favorite fashion icon throughout the course of Oscar season, and her light-blue Prada dress did not disappoint the commentators on E! or the couch pundits.