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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Queen of Katwe star Lupita Nyong'o turned heads on the red carpet Tuesday. The 33-year-old actress, who plays Nakku Harriet in the new Disney film, attended the movie's Los Angeles premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.
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Nyong'o stunned in a plunging lilac gown featuring a multi-colored belt and straps. She accessorized with a matching headscarf, strappy sandals and sparkling jewelry.
Madina Nalwanga and David Oyelowo, who portray Phiona Mutesi and Robert Katende, and Queen of Katwe director Mira Nair were also present at the event. The film co-stars Martin Kabanza, Taryn Kyaze and Esther Tebandeke.
Queen of Katwe centers on Phiona (Nalwanga), a real-life Ugandan chess prodigy who was named a Woman Candidate Master after her performance at the World Chess Olympiads. The movie opens in theaters Sept. 23.
"This is a very intimate story, unlike the other, more popular stories told on the African continent," Nyong'o told Red Eye. "The story rests in struggle, but it is also a story about perseverance. It's also a story about vision and magic! The magic of realizing your dream."
"When you live in poverty, you're living a very reactive life. You're striving to survive rather than to thrive, you know?" she explained. "So you don't have time to have big dreams and to figure out what you need to do to achieve them."
Nyong'o is known for playing Patsey in 12 Years a Slave and for voicing Maz Kanata in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She will reprise the character in Star Wars: Episode VIII, which opens Dec. 15, 2017.
