Danai Gurira, who played the strong warrior Okoye in Black Panther, just paid tribute to her king T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, who passed away this weekend after a long battle with colon cancer.
On Twitter, Gurira shared her heartfelt letter to Boseman and, I’m not kidding, it will leave you in tears.
“How do you honor a king?” she began. “Reeling from the loss of my colleague, my friend, my brother. Struggling for words. Nothing feels adequate. 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 continued, referencing their globally-loved characters. “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.”
“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. 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.”
“He was zen and sweet and funny (with the very best laugh), attentive, and truly, truly, good. I can’t even wrap my mind around this loss. 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 then ended her letter with the Xhosa phrase, “Lala Ngoxolo Kumkani,” which roughly translates to “Sleep in peace, O King.”
We’re crying.
— Danai Gurira (@DanaiGurira) August 30, 2020
Boseman was 43 when he died at his home in the Los Angeles area surrounded by family.
Rest in power, king.
(ALSO READ: Chadwick Boseman passes away: Marvel family, celebrities pay tributes)
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