Lupita Nyong’o Said That Her “A Quiet Place: Day One” Storyline Was “Therapeutic” After Her Friend Chadwick Boseman’s Death

Lupita admitted that it was “scary” to play a character who "is really facing their mortality, even before this apocalypse takes place, and whose life is slipping between her fingers.”

By
Stephanie Soteriou
by Stephanie Soteriou

BuzzFeed Staff

In August 2020, the celebrity world was rocked when it was announced that beloved actor Chadwick Boseman had died at age 43 after a secret battle with colon cancer, which he had been diagnosed with four years earlier.

Chadwick Boseman at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, wearing a polka-dot suit with a dark shirt and tie, standing in front of an event backdrop
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images

A month after the sad news broke, Chadwick’s friend and costar Lupita Nyong’o paid moving tribute to him in an Instagram post, where she said that “the news of his passing is a punch to [her] gut every morning.”

Lupita Nyong'o in a sweater and Chadwick Boseman in a jacket laughing together indoors
Shahar Azran / WireImage

"I am aware 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,” she added at the time.


Referencing his private health battle, Lupita wrote: "He showed up to every rehearsal and training and shoot day with his game face on.”




"He used his life force to tell meaningful stories," she went on. "And now we tell his... Chadwick’s death is something that I can neither take in nor take in my stride right now."


Concluding her poignant post, Lupita vowed: “Perhaps with time… I’m going to take my time… and in his honor, I promise not to waste my time.”

And almost four years later, Lupita has revealed that Chadwick was at the forefront of her mind as she worked on her latest project, A Quiet Place: Day One.

Lupita Nyong'o wearing a beanie and a coat holds a cat and a tote bag with a heart design. She stands on a city street surrounded by walking people.
Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

In the new sci-fi thriller, the actor plays Sam, a poet with terminal cancer who is in hospice care at the start of the movie. 


Speaking to People, the star admitted that it was “scary” to play a character who "is really facing their mortality, even before this apocalypse takes place, and whose life is slipping between her fingers,” and that it impacted her both “psychologically and emotionally.”

But ultimately, Lupita found the connection to Chadwick “therapeutic,” and she told the publication: "In the end, it was actually very therapeutic because I had just experienced not too many years ago the death of Chadwick Boseman, which shook me to my core. I definitely was thinking about that a lot."

Chadwick Boseman and Lupita Nyong'o seated at SiriusXM event, Chadwick wearing a blazer, Lupita in a dress, both smiling and looking at each other
Cindy Ord / Getty Images for SiriusXM

"What I came to realize is that it's really important to be reminded of our mortality, because then we live life just a little more intentionally," she added, echoing her Instagram tribute from 2020. "When we think we have all the time in the world, we can really take people for granted and experiences for granted."

Closeup of Chadwick Boseman
Emma Mcintyre / Getty Images for MTV

And those who have seen the movie have said that this mindset shines through when they watch Lupita on screen.

Lupita Nyong'o with distressed expression, covered in dark makeup, wearing a knitted beanie and cardigan, holding a white and black cat
Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Reacting to a tweet quoting her new comments about Chadwick, one person wrote: “She absolutely smacked it out of the park and now it makes so much sense.”


“I didn’t even make that connection but that makes her performance even more heartfelt,” somebody else added. Another user tweeted: “Lupita gave such a beautiful nuanced performance in the film, this just makes it hit even harder.”


While one more concluded: “And she gave an absolutely beautiful performance that Chadwick would be proud of.”

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