Chadwick Boseman Black Panther Honored By Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong’o has penned a heartfelt message about the death of her friend, fellow Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, who died recently from colon cancer at the age of 43.

“For the beloved Chadwick Boseman,” Lupita Nyong’o tweeted who plays Nakia in the Marvel films. “Take Your Time But Don’t Waste Your Time.”

“I write these words from a play of hopelessness, to honor a man who had great hope,” wrote Nyong’o. “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 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.”

Nyong’o continued: “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 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…”

Nyong’o also said: “Chadwick’s death is something that I can neither take in nor take in my stride right now. 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.”

“My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and to his loving wife, Simone, from whom I heard this phrase articulated so resonantly: #TakeYourTimeButDontWasteYourTime.”

Read Lupita Nyong’o’s full statement below.