Lupita Nyong’o shares heartfelt tribute to her Black Panther co-star Chadwick Boseman

Lupita Nyong’o has paid a heartfelt tribute to her Black Panther co-star Chadwick Boseman following his death at age 43 after a battle with colon cancer.

The actress, 37, took to Instagram and shared a photo of the late actor laughing as Lupita put her hands on his shoulders. 

Alongside the photo, Lupita penned a message about her friend, saying she was struggling to think about him ‘in the past tense’.

Emotional: Lupita Nyong’o, 37, has paid a heartfelt tribute to her Black Panther co-star Chadwick Boseman following his death at age 43 after a battle with colon cancer

She wrote: ‘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. I am aware that we are all mortal, but you come across some people in life that possess an immortal energy, that seems 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.

‘Chadwick was a man who made the most of his time, and somehow also managed to take his time. 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 seems to operate from. 

Co-stars: The actress took to Instagram and shared a photo of the late actor laughing as Lupita put her hands on his shoulders (pictured in 2018)

Co-stars: The actress took to Instagram and shared a photo of the late actor laughing as Lupita put her hands on his shoulders (pictured in 2018)

‘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…And he put in the work with all of us. 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. 

She wrote: 'I write these words from a place of hopelessness, to honor a man who had great hope. I am struggling to think about my friend, Chadwick Boseman, in the past tense'

She wrote: 'I write these words from a place of hopelessness, to honor a man who had great hope. I am struggling to think about my friend, Chadwick Boseman, in the past tense'

She wrote: ‘I write these words from a place of hopelessness, to honor a man who had great hope. I am struggling to think about my friend, Chadwick Boseman, in the past tense’

Lupita wrote: 'He had no airs about him, but there was a higher frequency that he seems to operate from'

Lupita wrote: ‘He had no airs about him, but there was a higher frequency that he seems to operate from’

Memories: Recalling working with Chadwick, Lupita said he was 'impeccable' and she 'never heard him complain'

Memories: Recalling working with Chadwick, Lupita said he was 'impeccable' and she 'never heard him complain'

Memories: Recalling working with Chadwick, Lupita said he was ‘impeccable’ and she ‘never heard him complain’

Lupita said: 'By pushing through and working with such high purpose in the films he chose to commit to, Chadwick has made the infinite his home'

Lupita said: ‘By pushing through and working with such high purpose in the films he chose to commit to, Chadwick has made the infinite his home’

She added: 'His power lives on and will reverberate for generations to come. He used his life force to tell meaningful stories'

She added: 'His power lives on and will reverberate for generations to come. He used his life force to tell meaningful stories'

She added: ‘His power lives on and will reverberate for generations to come. He used his life force to tell meaningful stories’

Heartfelt: Lupita captioned the post: ‘For the beloved #ChadwickBoseman. #TakeYourTimeButDontWasteYourTime.'

Heartfelt: Lupita captioned the post: ‘For the beloved #ChadwickBoseman. #TakeYourTimeButDontWasteYourTime.’

‘Chadwick’s hands were strong enough to carry the weight of the film and free enough to clasp mine when I needed it.’

She also wrote: ‘My deepest condolences to his family, friends and to his loving wife, Simone, from whom I heard this phrase articulated so resonantly: #TakeYourTimeButDontWasteYourTime’.

Lupita captioned the post: ‘For the beloved #ChadwickBoseman. #TakeYourTimeButDontWasteYourTime.’    

Service: It comes after Lupita joined Michael B. Jordan and Winston Duke at a memorial service in Malibu for the actor's friends and family (pictured in March 2019)

Service: It comes after Lupita joined Michael B. Jordan and Winston Duke at a memorial service in Malibu for the actor’s friends and family (pictured in March 2019)

It comes after Lupita joined Michael B. Jordan and Winston Duke at a memorial service in Malibu for the actor’s friends and family.

Chadwick’s wife Taylor Simone Ledward joined the actors to honor her late husband who died after a four year long battle with the disease. 

The couple were said to have secretly married earlier this year, after he proposed late last autumn. 

Chadwick’s death was announced on his personal social media accounts saying in part ‘He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.’ 

Message: Chadwick's death was announced on his social media accounts saying in part 'He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side' (pictured with Angela Bassett in 2018)

Message: Chadwick’s death was announced on his social media accounts saying in part ‘He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side’ (pictured with Angela Bassett in 2018)