Lupita Nyong’o Makes Touching Tribute for Chadwick Boseman
Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman’s co-star in the critically acclaimed Black Panther posts a heart-breaking tribute for him.
On September 8th, Nyong’o publicly spoke about Boseman’s death, writing a sincere message about him on her social media accounts. She posted a beautiful black and white photo of the pair laughing along with a touching message.
Nyong’o writes about how his death is surreal to her and the pure shock of it all: “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.”
She further compliments him, praising his character and his ability to connect in the present, stating “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.”
She commends his work ethic while battling cancer, describing how he showed up at “every rehearsal and training and shoot day with his game face on” and how he “used his body in every way that he could. He did his own stunts, drummed at his own parties, danced many a night away, mastered martial arts… the list goes on.”
Nyong’o also attests to Boseman’s love for humanity and is a powerful Black superhero for children to look up to. She states: “He cared so deeply about humanity, about Black people, about his people. He activated our pride.”
Nyong’o goes on to reflect on how Boseman’s death “can neither take in nor take in stride”. She concludes the message with “I’m not going to waste my time”, and with the hashtag #TakeYourTimeButDontWasteYourTime. Nyong’o’s tribute shows us all the fragility of life and how it’s important to live like Boseman by not wasting our time.
