Danai Gurira is honoring Black Panther leading man Chadwick Boseman in her own special, thoughtful way.
The actress, who co-starred in the iconic superhero film with the late film star, opened up on her Instagram page late Sunday night to deliver a message to the world about the “pure-hearted, profoundly generous” Boseman. As we reported, he passed away on Friday at just 43 years old after a private four-year battle with colon cancer.
Related: Boseman Appeared To Subtly Hint At Cancer Diagnosis Years Ago…
In her IG message to the world, the 42-year-old actress recalled how her role of Okoye, general of the Dora Milaje and head of the Wakandan armed forces, perfectly paralleled that of Boseman’s T’Challa/Black Panther, leading to a memorable synergy between both performers.
The Walking Dead star wrote openly about that in her statement of mourning, sharing (below):
“How do you honor a king? Reeling from the loss of my colleague, my friend, my brother. Struggling for words. Nothing feels adequate. I always marveled at how special Chadwick was. Such a pure hearted, profoundly generous, regal, fun guy. My entire job as Okoye was to respect and protect a king. Honor his leadership. Chadwick made that job profoundly easy. He was the epitome of kindness, elegance, diligence and grace. On many an occasion I would think how thankful I was that he was the leading man I was working closely with. A true class act. And so perfectly equipped to take on the responsibility of leading the franchise that changed everything for Black representation.”
Wow… very touching…
It wasn’t just Boseman’s on-camera and on-set persona that drew people close to him, either. Gurira remembered more about the man away from his iconic film roles, too:
“He made everyone feel loved, heard and seen. He played great, iconic roles because he possessed inside of himself that connection to greatness to be able to so richly bring them to life. He had a heroic spirit, and marched to the beat of his own drum; hence his excellence as an artist and the incredible courage and determination as he faced life’s challenges; while still guiding us all.”
We’re not crying… you’re crying.
Gurira finished with a flourish, too, connecting Boseman’s incredible on-camera persona, his sweet personality, and the legacy he will now leave behind in this world:
“He was zen and sweet and funny (with the very best laugh), attentive, and truly, truly, good. I can’t even wrap my mind around this loss. A loss resonating in my own heart as well as around the globe. The children he inspired, my heart aches for them, to lose their hero just as they finally found him. I am so thankful to have taken the Black Panther journey with him. To have known him, spent time in his light and leadership and to call him forever a friend.”
Along with it, Danai concluded her post with the Zulu phrase “Lala Ngoxolo Kumkani,” which translates to “Sleep in peace, O king.” Amen to that.
Related: Re-Visit Chadwick Boseman’s Career-Defining Film Performances!
CLICK HERE to see the Marvel star’s entire statement, plus several pics she shared of her memories with the late film star. Very, very touching.
Our hearts continue to go out to Boseman’s family, friends, loved ones, and everyone else he so profoundly touched during his all-too-short time on this earth. As co-stars and other peers keep coming forward with stories, memories, and other statements of mourning, it’s becoming extremely clear just how kind and decent the super hero IRL was to all those around him.
RIP…
[Image via WENN/Avalon]
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