Who deserves to win 2014 Oscars’ best supporting actress: Jennifer Lawrence vs. Lupita Nyongo

Lupita Amondi Nyong’o was born in Mexico City, Mexico, on March 1, 1983. Her Kenyan parents were in Mexico as her father was a visiting lecturer in political science for a local university. She was named Lupita in honor of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. She and her family returned to Kenya when she was less than a year old. Her father taught at the University of Nairobi and she grew up in an African middle-class environment.

Jennifer Shrader Lawrence was born Aug. 15, 1990, in Louisville, Kentucky, where she grew up with her parents and two older brothers. She graduated from high school two years early to pursue a professional acting career and did not attend college.

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Lupita Nyong’o:  Growing up around the arts, she played Juliet in a professional production of Romeo and Juliet at the young age of 14. She graduated from the Yale School of Drama that also boasts such alumni as Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber and Sigourney Weaver. In addition to acting, she also wrote, directed and produced a documentary film about the ill-treatment of albinos in Africa.

Jennifer Lawrence: Though she auditioned for the role of Bella Swan in Twilight, the role went to Kristen Stewart. Lawrence’s breakout role was Ree Dolly in 2010’s Winter’s Bone, for which she received her first Oscar nomination.

Lupita Nyong’o: Nyong’o currently calls Brooklyn, New York, her home and is fluent in English, Spanish, Swahili and Luo. She was inspired to become an actress after seeing The Color Purple.

Jennifer Lawrence: The actress is currently engaged to British actor Nicholas Hoult. The couple met on the set of X-Men: First Class in 2011.

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Lupita Nyong’o: She made a stunning debut on the Golden Globes red carpet in a bold red gown designed by Ralph Lauren. She has also been on Harper’s Bazaar‘s Derek Blasberg’s Best Dressed List since fall 2013.

Jennifer Lawrence: Despite rocking the stunning, futuristic gowns in The Hunger Games movies, she openly regrets wearing the sheer Dior haute couture that revealed the actress’ thighs. She has yet to create a signature style.

Lupita Nyong’o: For her role in the film 12 Years a Slave, Nyong’o recently won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

Jennifer Lawrence: She won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Silver Linings Playbook and most recently won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for American Hustle.

Lupita Nyong’o: She can be seen as Gwen in the thriller Non-Stop, also starring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore.

Jennifer Lawrence: She is currently filming The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and will also be starring in the film Serena opposite Bradley Cooper later this year.