Disney’s ‘Queen of Katwe’ Actor Nikita Pearl Waligwa Dies At 15
Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the youth actor who appeared in Disney’s biographical drama “Queen of Katwe,” has sadly passed away.
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According to BBC and the Ugandan newspaper Daily Monitor, Waligwa had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016. While she seemed to recover a year later, another tumor was found just last year. It was said that “Queen of Katwe” director Mira Nair had helped organize efforts to fund Waligwa’s treatment during filming, according to BBC. The Monitor says that a funding campaign was also started for Nikita to get treatment in India, but local doctors were quoted as not having the proper equipment. She was only 15-years-old.
Waligwa was best known for her role in the Disney pic which was about a chess prodigy from Ugandan. The film 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 also starred in the film. Oyelowo took to social media to pay tribute to the young star, calling her a “ball of light.”
“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”
Nikita Pearl Waligwa will be missed.
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