Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the young actress who starred in the 2016 film Queen of Katwe, has died at the age of 15. She had been diagnosed...
Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the young actress who starred in the 2016 film Queen of Katwe, has died at the age of 15. She had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, according to Ugandan newspaper The Daily Monitor.
Waligwa was best known for her role in the Disney pic about a chess prodigy from a Ugandan slum. Queen of Katwe was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a 9-year-old chess player who famously competed in international tournaments.
Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo starred in the film, in which Waligwa played the role of Phiona's friend Gloria, who explained the rules of chess to her.
"We mourn the loss of our beautiful Nikita Pearl Waligwa,” he captioned a photo of the actress via Instagram on Sunday. “She was a ball of light in @queenofkatwemovie and in life. Her battle with a brain tumor was humbling to witness. Her light will live on. #rip"
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