Celebrated South African actress and filmmaker Connie Chiume — maybe greatest identified to American audiences for her roles in Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly — has died. She was 72.
Her son, Nongelo, confirmed the information to the South African information channel Newzroom Afrika on Wednesday, revealing that Chiume died on Tuesday at a hospital in Johannesburg.
“She was admitted for a medical procedure and she was recovering well,” Chiume’s son shared. “But, unfortunately, we then got the news of her passing.”
Nongelo mentioned of his mom, “We are proud to be her children. She left us a beautiful legacy, not only just for her children or her family—but for the community and the country at large.”
The actress was born in Welkom, South Africa, in 1952, and commenced her appearing profession within the Nineteen Eighties, after returning to South Africa from spending a number of years in Greece.
Her profession spanned South Africa’s two remarkably completely different eras, as she started appearing whereas the nation was nonetheless beneath apartheid, after which was a part of the filmmaking increase that got here after apartheid was ended within the early ’90s.
Chiume’s largest Hollywood function got here in 2018 along with her half as tribal elder Zawavari in Marvel’s Again Panther. She reprised the function in 2022 in Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly.
She is moreover identified for her many performances in South African leisure initiatives. Notable, memorable TV credit embody Zone 14, Rhythm Metropolis, Queen Sono and Gomora. Moreover, she starred in plenty of main film roles in movies like I Dreamed of Africa, Fanie Fourie’s Lobola and Significantly Single.
She additionally appeared as herself in Beyonce’s 2020 musical movie Black Is King.
In 2022, Chiume was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the South African Movie and Tv Awards.
The beloved actress is survived by her three kids and 5 grandchildren.
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