Danai Gurira had paid tribute to her Black Panther co-star: the late, great Chadwick Boseman who passed away from colon cancer at the age of 43.
Gurira, 42, took on the role of Okoye in the 2018 MCU blockbuster. Okoye was a warrior who protects Wakanda and its king T'Challa, played by Boseman.
Taking to Instagram following the actor's passing, she began: "How do you honor a king? Reeling from the loss of my colleague, my friend, my brother. Struggling for words. Nothing feels adequate."
She continued: "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. He was the epitome of kindness, elegance, diligence and grace.
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"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."
The touching tribute went on: "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.
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"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."
In a statement posted on social media, Chadwick's family confirmed the devastating news and revealed that the actor was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016. He'd been battling with the illness for the last four years as it progressed to stage IV.
The actor never spoke publicly about his diagnosis and managed to shoot and star in several films while undergoing numerous surgeries and chemotherapy.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Chadwick Boseman, Entertainment, TV and Film
