For longer than many of her colleagues, Lupita Nyong'o has searched for words to express her grief over the death of Chadwick Boseman.
Chadwick Boseman (1976-2020) died unexpectedly at the end of August at the age of only 43. Until now, around two weeks later, it took his "Black Panther" colleague Lupita Nyong'o (37) to put her grief into words and to share it with the world. On Instagram, she posted a touching picture of herself and Boseman, followed by several text panels with which she expresses her feelings.
Every morning since the death report, the Oscar winner wakes up with "a blow in the pit of the stomach". Boseman had an "immortal energy", the more difficult it is for her to realize that he is no longer alive. "Chadwick was a man who made the most of his time and still managed to take his time," said Nyong'o.
He changed her forever
Nyong'o met Boseman while filming "Black Panther". In the 2018 film, she plays Nakia, the ex-girlfriend of the title character. In the short time that she knew him, he immediately left an impression on her with his "calm, powerful presence". "Chadwick's hands were strong enough to support the weight of the film and free enough to grab mine whenever I needed it." She never heard Boseman complain about anything. "He used his mouth to build things up, (…) not to tear them down. And to tell unfortunate bad dad jokes."
In their eyes, Boseman gave up life much earlier than he gave up life. "Love drove him, not fear. (…) And he made sure that his life fucking meant something." She wants to continue this important lesson in his memory: "In his honor I promise not to waste my time. I hope that you will do the same."