As the star of one of the most buzzed-about films of the year, it’s no surprise that “Loving” actress Ruth Negga has landed her first cover on Vogue.

Related: Joel Edgerton And Ruth Negga Talk Prejudice And Starting A Conversation With ‘Loving’

Photographed by renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino, the 34-year-old Irish-Ethiopian beauty stuns in an Alexander Wang rose-covered crop on the January 2017 cover, where she opens up about her overnight rise to fame and breaking boundaries with her new film.

Speaking about her sudden stardom, she says, “I’ve been working. Keeping a low profile – until bam! Nothing slow and steady about me.” Negga, who was born in Ethiopia and raised in Ireland, adds, “People have always made assumptions about me. I become very territorial about my identity because it’s been hijacked by so many people, with their own projections.”

Related: ‘Loving’ Stars Ruth Negga And Joel Edgerton Reflect On The Film’s Timeless Themes

The actress goes on to say that her new film, which sees her star alongside Joel Edgerton as a real-life interracial couple trying to get married in 1958 Virginia, highlights an important issue that appears more relevant than ever with the heated racial climate in America today. “The film is reminding us that there’s a conversation that we need to be having still,” she says.