Just two days after her Black Panther co-star Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away, Danai Gurira opened up about his death.
The 42-year-old actress played Okoye in the 2018 Marvel Studios blockbuster Black Panther, the head of the secret service known as the Dora Milaje that protected Boseman’s character T’challa.
The actress took to Instagram on Sunday night to issue a heartfelt statement, plus a photo of her hugging Boseman and a photo of their chairs on set.
Opening up: Just two days after her Black Panther co-star Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away, Danai Gurira opened up about his death
‘How do you honor a king? Reeling from the loss of my colleague, my friend, my brother. Struggling for words. Nothing feels adequate.,’ Gurira began.
‘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,’ she added.
‘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,’ she continued.
Honor: ‘How do you honor a king? Reeling from the loss of my colleague, my friend, my brother. Struggling for words. Nothing feels adequate.,’ Gurira began
‘And so perfectly equipped to take on the responsibility of leading the franchise that changed everything for Black representation,’ she added.
‘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,’ the actress continued.
‘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,’ she added.
Representation: ‘And so perfectly equipped to take on the responsibility of leading the franchise that changed everything for Black representation,’ she added
The actress went on to describe him as, ‘zen and sweet and funny (with the very best laugh), attentive, and truly, truly, good.’
She added that she can’t, ‘even wrap my mind around this loss,’ adding it’s 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,’ she said.
Truly great: The actress went on to describe him as, ‘zen and sweet and funny (with the very best laugh), attentive, and truly, truly, good.’
She ended her heartfelt tribute with the Xhosa phrase, ‘Lala Ngoxolo Kumkani,’ which translates to ‘Sleep in peace, O King.’
The actress also took to her Instagram story to share a photo of two chairs on set, one reading T’challa and the other Okoye.
Black Panther was released in February 2018 and earned $700 million domestic and $1.3 billion worldwide.
Sleep king: She ended her heartfelt tribute with the Xhosa phrase, ‘Lala Ngoxolo Kumkani,’ which translates to ‘Sleep in peace, O King’
Chairs: The actress also took to her Instagram story to share a photo of two chairs on set, one reading T’challa and the other Okoye