Lupita Nyong’o posted a statement about the death of her Black Panther co-star, Chadwick Boseman, on her social media channels Monday morning.
She began by saying, “I write these words from a place of hopelessness, to honor a man who had great hope. I am struggling to think and speak about my friend, Chadwick Boseman, in the past tense. It doesn’t make sense. The news of his passing is a punch to my gut every morning.”
“When I was around Chadwick, I wanted to be better, less petty, more purposeful,” she continued. “He 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 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.”
Nyong’o noted that while she didn’t know him for that long, he had a major impact on her. “Chadwick was a man who made the most of his time, and somehow also managed to take his time,” she wrote. “I didn’t know him for long, but he had a profound effect on me in the time that I did. When we came together to make Black Panther, 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.”
“Chadwick’s death is something that I can neither take in nor take in my stride right now,” she added. “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.”
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Photo: Getty
