actress lupita nyong o who stars in the movie 12 years a slave poses for a portrait in los angeles california november 13 2013 in preparing for her first film role as a petite hard laboring slave in 12 years a slave sized herself up against 500 pounds of cotton which her character patsey picked every day the film itself is considered a heavyweight oscar contender having won widespread praise for its brutal depiction of pre civil war american slavery 12 years a slave is based on the 1853 memoir of solomon northup a free black man tricked and sold into slavery who cannot fathom 2d004nr.jpg from schlÄge slave View Photo