- Mourning the loss of Connie Chiume
South African actress Connie Chiume has passed away at the age of 72. The sad news was announced by her family on her official Instagram account. In a brief statement, it reads: "The Chiume family regrets to announce the passing of internationally acclaimed and award-winning actress Connie Chiume." She passed away on August 6 at the Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg. No details about the cause of death were provided in the post, but the family has promised to share more details at an appropriate time.
Chiume's greatest successes came from her role in the "Black Panther" films. In the 2018 debut of the series, she played one of the tribal elders. Four years later, in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," she reprised her role and ascended to become the successor to Forest Whitaker's (63) character Zuri as an important representative of the fictional Wakanda.
Auditioning for "Black Panther" without preparation
In an interview with the "Sunday Times" about two years ago, she spoke about her unusual casting for the Marvel blockbuster: "I went to an audition without knowing what I was auditioning for. I was given a scene to perform, and I could see that the character was an African woman addressing the nation. I wore my African attire, I learned my lines. I gave it my best shot." She couldn't have imagined at the time that "Black Panther" would become such a massive box office success.
Chiume discovered her acting calling later in life, initially working as a teacher. Born in Welkom in 1952, she moved to Greece in her mid-20s to pursue her acting career. After joining the cast of the musical "Sola Sola" there, she gradually gained fame back home. From the late 80s onwards, she appeared in numerous TV films and series in South Africa, including the drama series "Gomora." She also appeared in Beyoncé Knowles' (42) musical "Black Is King."
Wakanda had to say goodbye to its king, Chadwick Boseman, in 2020. The actor who played the title role passed away at the age of 43 after a battle with cancer.
Chiume's acting career in the Marvel Universe was notable, notably as a tribal elder in "Black Panther" and subsequently ascending to become Zuri's successor in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." In an unconventional manner, she landed her role in "Black Panther" without prior knowledge of the audition, impressing the directors with her African attire and performance.
