Ruth was nominated earlier this year for her role in 'Loving', which was such a brilliant performance that many top critics agreed that she was very unlucky to miss out on Oscar glory.
However, Ruth now believes she was "so naive" about the amount of networking needed to win an Oscar.
"I didn't even realise there was a campaign," Negga told Net-A-Porter's The Edit. "I thought you just crossed your fingers and hoped for the best, I was so naive. You have to do luncheons, screenings, Q&As – it's intense. Imagine I wasn't that hot on my film."
During the Oscar ceremony, Ruth was name checked by Meryl Streep. "That was surreal," Ruth recalls. "There was a camera right beside me, so I had to try and stay calm," she said. What I really wanted to do was scream, 'Are you fucking kidding me? Rewind. Say it again, Meryl, we couldn't hear it at the back."
But Ruth isn't interested in simply cashing in now as a result of the major profile boast the Oscar nomination has given her in the film industry.
"I'm not interested in working for the next few months," Ruth revealed. "I think people get worried about a wave they have to ride. But what if you crash and you can't ride any more waves?"