The actress and author Lupita Nyong’o paid tribute to the late actor Chadwick Boseman, her ‘Black Panther’ costar, through a lengthy Instagram statement that she captioned with “For the beloved #ChadwickBoseman”
The first Kenyan and Mexican actress to win an Academy Award began by saying that she was struggling to think and speak about Boseman in the past tense. Then she depicted him with the following words:
“The news of his passing is a punch to my gut every morning. I am aware that we are all mortal, but you come across some people in life that possess immortal energy, that seem like they have existed before, that are exactly where they are supposed to always be — here! … that seem ageless… Chadwick was one of those people.”
The actress, portraying ‘Nakia’ in Marvel superhero film ‘Black Panther’, recalled the day she came together with Boseman for filming, and shared his first impression on her:
“I remember being struck by his quiet, powerful presence. He had no airs about him, but there was a higher frequency that he seemed to operate from. You got the sense that he was fully present and also somehow fully aware of things in the distant future. As a result, I noticed that Chadwick never seemed rushed! He commanded his time with ease… And he put in the work with all of us. He showed up to every rehearsal and training and shoot day with his game face on. He was absorbent. Agile. He set the bar high by working with a generosity of spirit, creating an ego-free environment by sheer example, and he always had a warm gaze and a strong embrace to share.”
Nyong’o expressed that when she was around Chadwick, she wanted to be better, and more purposeful. She also added that the late actor was fueled by love, not fear.
“He moved quietly, deliberately and without imposing himself or his ideals on others. And yet he also made damn sure that his life meant something. He was unwavering about that. He cared so deeply about humanity, about Black people, about his people. He activated our pride. By pushing through and working with such high purpose in the films he chose to commit to, Chadwick has made the infinite his home.”
The 37-year-old actress, who named among 50 Most Powerful Women, concluded her words as follows:
“His power lives on and will reverberate for generations to come. He used his life force to tell meaningful stories. And now we tell his… Chadwick’s death is something that I can neither take in nor take in my stride right now. Perhaps with time… I’m going to take my time… and in his honor, I promise not to waste my time. I hope you will do the same.”
As known, on August 28, the ‘Black Panther’ actor Chadwick Boseman died of complications from colon cancer, at the age of 43, after a four-year battle.
See below to find Nyong’o’s mentioned Instagram post.
View this post on InstagramFor the beloved #ChadwickBoseman. #TakeYourTimeButDontWasteYourTime
A post shared by Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo) on
