Lupita Nyong’o has written a tribute to Chadwick Boseman.

The Black Panther actress, who played Nakia in the Marvel film, took to Instagram to share her thoughts on the late actor who played the titular character.

• Read more: Chadwick Boseman – 1976-2020: a real-life superhero who gave hope to many

“I write these words from a place of hopelessness, to honor a man who had great hope,” Nyon’go began. “I am struggling to think and speak about my friend, Chadwick Boseman, in the past tense. It doesn’t make sense.

“The news of his passing is a punch to my gut every morning. I am aware that we are all mortal, but you come across some people in life that possess an immortal energy, that seems 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.”

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For the beloved #ChadwickBoseman. #TakeYourTimeButDontWasteYourTime

A post shared by Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo) on Sep 8, 2020 at 6:07am PDT

Nyong’o continued: “Chadwick was a man who made the most of his time, and somehow also managed to take his time. I didn’t know him for long, but he had a profound effect on me in the time that I did.

“When we came together to make Black Panther, I remember being struck by his quiet, powerful presence. He had no airs about him, but there was a higher frequency that he seems to operate from. You got the sense that he was fully present and also somehow fully aware of things in the distant future.”

Her tribute went on, adding, “When I was around Chadwick, I wanted to be better, less petty, more purposeful…He was fuelled by love, not fear.

Later in the post, Nyong’o wrote, “He moved quietly, deliberately and without imposing himself or his ideals on others. And yet he also made damn sure that his life meant something. He was unwavering about that. He cared so deeply about humanity, about Black people, about his people.”

She concluded: “Chadwick’s death is something that I can neither take in nor take in my stride right now. Perhaps with time… I’m going to take my time… and in his honor, I promise not to waste my time. I hope you will do the same.”