The 12 Years A Slave beauty is currently in the Big Apple for her Off Broadway play Eclipsed, and she was invited to discuss her life and her stellar rise to fame with journalist Michaela Angela Davis at the MIST Harlem theatre.

During the event, the Mexican-Kenyan actress was presented with a proclamation from New York Congressman Charles Rangel, officially declaring 20 October Lupita Nyong'o Day.

A stunned Lupita shared a brief video clip of the event on her Instagram page on Tuesday night, and she couldn't contain her excitement.

"October 20th declared Lupita Nyong'o Day in Harlem?!" she exclaimed. "My heart is swollen with the love and welcome I just received from the Harlem Community at @MIST_harlem... THANK YOU, congressman Charles Rangel and office for the dumbfounding honor."

The accolade was bestowed upon Lupita on the same day it was announced Eclipsed will be transferring to Broadway. The star has received rave reviews for her role in the play, which is set in the Liberian Civil War and features Lupita as a young woman forced to join a group of sex slaves.

The show's limited run at the Public Theater will wrap on 29 November (15), but Lupita will reprise her role in the production, written by The Walking Dead actress/playwright Danai Gurira, in February (16) when it moves to the Shubert Organization's Golden Theatre.

Lupita has had plenty to celebrate this week (begs19Oct15) - the highly-anticipated trailer for her upcoming Star Wars sequel, The Force Awakens, debuted on Monday (19Oct15), much to fans' delight.

The 32 year old was added to the cast last year (14) and joins fellow franchise newcomers Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, and John Boyega. Original sci-fi icons Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford also return for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, which is directed by J.J. Abrams. The movie will open in December (15).