Lupita Nyong'o pays tribute to 'wildly witty' Dorothy Steel, 'Black Panther' star who died at 95
Lupita Nyong'o is remembering her late "Black Panther" co-star Dorothy Steel in a touching Instagram tribute.
"I will miss Miss Dorothy Steel on the 'Black Panther 2' set. She was the realest. Wildly witty and very very warm," Nyong'o wrote Tuesday alongside a photo of Steel in her "Black Panther" costume.
Steel, who played a Merchant Tribe Elder, died Friday in her Detroit home, according to the Hollywood Reporter and WSBTV. She was 95.
Nyong'o noted the cast of Marvel's film enjoyed Steel's presence on set and commended the actress' dedication and enthusiasm for the role.
"She often joked that she may not be here for the next day of shooting and it made me laugh uncomfortably. But she understood her own mortality and was not precious about her departure. It seems she lived thoroughly and was very present in the moment," the actress, who plays Nakia, wrote.
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Born in 1926, Steel didn't begin pursuing acting until she was 88. Her earliest credit is in 2015 when she played Mrs. Williams in "The Trouble With Going Somewhere." She also played a village elder in "Jumanji: The Next Level."
"That she started acting in her late 80s is cause for great admiration. Just learning that fact showed me that it is never too late to start, to learn, and to reach to fulfill your potential," Nyong'o added. "May we all be as bold to spend our days going after what we want, doing what we love, being who we want to be, without apology or reservation. And may we never give up on our timeline!"
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Nyong'o ended her tribute with a Xhosa phrase that she translated to: "Rest well our elder heroine, we shall remember you."
The sequel to the 2018 film is set to be released July 8, 2022, and is titled “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Black Panther' actress Dorothy Steel honored by Lupita Nyong'o
