Actress Lupita Nyong'o has for the first time spoken about the death of her "Black Panther" co-star Chadwick Boseman who succumbed to colon cancer on August 28, 2020.Nyong'o, 37, shared a picture of her and a cheerful Boseman on Instagram on Tuesday, along with a heartfelt tribute.
"I write these words from a place of hopelessness, to honour 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 wrote.
"I am aware that we are all mortal, but you come across some people in life that possess an 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."
Lupita, who played Boseman's love interest Nakia in the acclaimed film, said that although she did not know him for long, he greatly influenced her life.
"Chadwick was a man who made the most of his time, and somehow also managed to take his time...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," she said.
Lupita further added that 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. His large hands would descend on my shoulders and give them a squeeze that relieved me of the tensions I did not realize I was holding. Chadwick's hands were strong enough to carry the weight of the film and free enough to clasp mine when I needed it."
The Oscar-winning actress ended her tribute by offering her condolences to the late actor's family and friends.
She said she hoped that people honoured Boseman's legacy by being purposeful with their time.
"Perhaps with time... I'm going to take my time... and in his honour, I promise not to waste my time. I hope you will do the same."
