Her exotic beauty and heart-wrenching portrayal of tormented slave Patsey in 12 Years a Slave catapulted her into stardom.But five years ago, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o starred in Shuga, a sexually-charged MTV Base Africa soap opera in which she juggled two men.In the three-part first season, the 31-year-old actress played ambitious go-getter Ayira, who sleeps with her boss at Maverick Advertising.
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'You got what you wanted, right? Now it's my turn,' wealthy Felix said, kissing Ayira over a conference table
'Are you sleeping with anyone else?' Felix asked and when Ayira said no he added: 'Then there's no problem, is there?'
PSA: The show's numerous steamy sex scenes proved a great way to raise HIV/AIDS awareness, and by the third part Ayira discovers she might have contracted the deadly disease
The show's numerous steamy sex scenes proved a great way to raise HIV/AIDS awareness, and by the third part Ayira discovers she might have contracted the deadly disease.
Getting down: In a previous encounter with her older boss, the flawless It Girl straddles his lap wearing little more than a black lacy bra
Drama: The advertising CEO's daughter then interrupts the frisky pair
Caught in the act: Lupita's college student character is often in various states of undress throughout the series.
Wet and wild: Lupita takes a serene shower at one point in the series
Juggling two men: But even that sequence gets transformed into a love scene when her boyfriend Ty unexpectedly joins her from behind
'Where are my jeans?' Between school, a waitress job, a boyfriend, and supporting her mother - Nyong'o is literally rushing from scene to scene, even in her panties
Roommates: Shuga turned out to be a hit - airing in 40 different African countries before eventually airing internationally on 70 TV stations
!['I think one thing [Shuga] is trying to do is talk about how HIV and AIDS is not a death sentence': Through her work on Shuga, Nyong'o became an ambassador for HIV and AIDS](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/06/article-2575102-1C16C3FD00000578-755_634x559.jpg)
'I think one thing [Shuga] is trying to do is talk about how HIV and AIDS is not a death sentence': Through her work on Shuga, Nyong'o became an ambassador for HIV and AIDS