Black Panther Actress Danai Gurira On Chadwick Boseman: “How Do You Honor A King?” (Pic credit – Getty Images / Danai Gurira and Chadwick Boseman )
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Actress and playwright Danai Gurira on Sunday paid tribute to the late actor Chadwick Boseman. She took to Instagram to post an emotional note on her co-star who died on Friday after a battle with colon cancer.
Gurira and Boseman starred in the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther, wherein she played the role of Okoye, a General of the Dora Milaje and the head of Wakandan armed forces. Boseman played the role of T’Challa/Black Panther.
Danai Gurira, on her Instagram post, wrote an emotional note alongside a series of candid photos of her and Boseman. She wrote, “How do you honor a king? Reeling from the loss of my colleague, my friend, my brother. Struggling for words. Nothing feels adequate. I always marvelled at how special Chadwick was. Such a pure-hearted, profoundly generous, regal, fun guy.”
Boseman died at the age of 43 on Friday after battling colon cancer for almost four years. The confirmation of his death came from his family who posted a statement shared on social media.
Danai Gurira in her post said that playing the role of Okoye her job was to “respect and protect a king” and “Chadwick made that job profoundly easy. He was the epitome of kindness, elegance, diligence and grace.” She also said how she marvelled at his co-star for taking on the responsibility of leading the franchise quite skillfully.
She said, “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. And so perfectly equipped to take on the responsibility of leading the franchise that changed everything for Black representation.”
Danai Gurira’s warm words echoed many of Boseman’s colleagues. They also shared how the kind, thoughtful, and serious the late actor was about his craft in their tributes. One of them was Ryan Coogler, who directed the film Black Panther.
He also shared an emotional note on social media saying, “Chad deeply valued his privacy, and I wasn’t privy to the details of his illness. After his family released their statement, I realized that he was living with his illness the entire time I knew him.”
Coogler further added, “Because he was a caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity, and pride, he shielded his collaborators from his suffering. He lived a beautiful life. And he made great art. Day after day, year after year. That was who he was. He was an epic firework display. I will tell stories about being there for some of the brilliant sparks till the end of my days. What an incredible mark he’s left for us.”
