Lupita Nyong'o poses with cobra for Vogue shoot

Actress Lupita Nyong'o features on the cover of the July issue of Vogue. Photo / AP

Lupita Nyong'o has strutted red carpets and won Academy Awards, so you would have thought her first cover issue for Vogue would be a breeze.

But then a cobra arrived for the shoot.

The 12 Years A Slave Oscar-winner is seen staring down the venomous snake across a table in one of the amazing photographs from the July issue of Vogue.

Actress Lupita Nyong'o on the cover of Vogue.

Nyong'o posted a behind-the-scenes video to Instagram of her rehearsal with the reptilian model in the Marrakesh shoot - and appears rightfully terrified.

In the video, the snake is coiled around her shoulders, as Nyong'o stands rigid and smiling nervously.

She starts quietly saying "no, no" and "oh my god" when the snake handler guides her to hold the cobra.

When he takes it away, the reptile is barely off Nyong'o's shoulders when she runs off, followed by the laughter of the people watching.

"@voguemagazine #bts: rehearsal for the snake shot. Nobody said being on the cover would be easy. #FightYourFearAndWin. (DOP and laughter by @rscapellan)," she captioned the video.

Nyong'o is having quite a year. After winning her best supporting actress Oscar in March, she recently confirmed she'll play parts in the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII and the live-action version of The Jungle Book.

- AAP