The film Black Panther received critical acclaim worldwide. Zimbabwean actor Danai Gurira from the film chats about the impact it has had on her life.
January 29 marked the first anniversary since the release of the Black Panther movie.
Worldwide, it grossed more than $1.2 billion ranking as the tenth top-grossing film of all time.
At the 2019 Golden Globes, which took place on January 6, the movie was nominated for three awards and was rumoured to be nominated for an Oscar, which will be hosted on February 25.
Danai Gurira, who plays the part of General Okoye, represented a fierce and strong woman.
One of the most notable scenes in the movie was when she took off her wig and used it as a weapon.
She chats to FORBES AFRICA about the impact the movie has had on her life.
What did being part of a movie like Black Panther mean to you?
It was a really amazing experience to be a part of and, of course, in my own work as a playwright and an actor, I’ve always been seeking to give the voice of the African more of a global resonance and response because I always wondered why we didn’t have that.
So, the beauty of being a part of a project that did do that and being able to play a character who was fully feminine and fully fierce and unapologetic about it allowed me to really be a part of something I wanted to see growing up.
I had always yearned to see stories like that, with such amazing characters I got to work with in that world, in an Africa un-colonized and excellent and thriving. And it was really an amazing feeling to be a part of that.
Did you expect such a huge response from the global audience?
The response, I mean, we couldn’t have predicted that, but I think we were all excited. Peter, Chadwick [Boseman] and the people I got to work with were excited to see this pass; even if we weren’t part of it, we would have supported it.
It has been a great experience to have and to know that people have had the response they had and we are just thankful.