Zim Hollywood star joins Marvel’s Black Panther

31 Jul, 2016 - 00:07 0 Views
Zim Hollywood star joins Marvel’s Black Panther Danai Gurira

The Sunday News

Danai Gurira

Danai Gurira

Peter Matika, Senior Life Reporter
AMC’S The Walking Dead Zimbabwean star Danai Gurira has officially been cast in Marvel’s Black Panther, as revealed at the Marvel Hall H panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego, America.

Danai, who stars as the sword-wielding Michonne in the sci-fi Zombie drama series, The Walking Dead, will tackle yet another epic comic series and badass character, if need be said, as a member of the Black Panther team.

The actress assumes the role of Okoye in the movie, the leader of a fierce, all-female group of warriors known as the Dora Milaje, who protect the Wakanda realm and guard King T’Challa/Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman. Sounds like the perfect fit for Gurira.

AMC announced their casting decision regarding Danai back in March 2012, and the actress has since experienced a surge in popularity following her stint.

Now, the actress will be trading in Michonne’s sword momentarily to star in Marvel’s Black Panther.

By joining Black Panther, Danai is joining a star-studded cast, which happens to be of African descent, where Chadwick Boseman will reprise his role as T’Challa/Black Panther.

Along with Danai, Lupita Nyong’o will also be playing a member of the Dora Milaje, a character named Nakia, who serves as a love interest for T’Challa and later, a villain named Malice in the comics.

The actresses are reuniting on the Marvel movie, after collaborating together on the play Eclipsed, which Danai wrote, and which netted six Tony nominations earlier this year.

Black Panther is slated to hit theatres in 2018.

Danai also recently signed to play Tupac Shakur’s mother, Afeni Shakur, in a biopic of the late rapper called “All Eyez on Me” being distributed by Open Road and directed by Benny Boom.

Danai became popular through her role as Michonne on AMC’s The Walking Dead.

She also voiced a character in the animated feature, Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast.

Although better known for playing the sword wielding Michonne on The Walking Dead since 2012, Danai has been an active playwright for more than a decade.

She has written plays that include In the Continuum, The Convert, and Familiar.

Danai began writing plays because she felt a need for “something to perform that actually spoke to women” and stories she believed important to tell.

Danai co-wrote and co-starred in the off-Broadway play In the Continuum, which won her an Obie Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Helen Hayes Award for Best Lead Actress.

In December 2011, In the Continuum commemorated World Aids Day. In 2009, Danai debuted on Broadway in August Wilson’s play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.

Danai received the Whiting Writers’ Award in 2012. In January 2015, Familiar, a play written by Danai and directed by Rebecca Taichman, opened at Yale Repertory Theatre. The play is about family, cultural identity, and the experience of life as a first-generation American, and Danai has said that it was inspired in part by family and friends of hers.

Danai starred in the 2007 film The Visitor, for which she won Method Fest Independent Film Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has appeared in the films Ghost Town, 3 Backyards, My Soul to Take, and Restless City, as well as the television shows Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Life on Mars, and Law & Order. From 2010 to 2011, she appeared in the HBO drama series Treme. In 2013, Danai played a lead role in director Andrew Dosunmu’s independent drama film Mother of George, which premiered at 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Danai received critical acclaim for her performance as a Nigerian woman struggling to live in the United States. In June 2013, Danai won the Jean-Claude Gahd Dam award at the 2013 Guys Choice Awards.

Twitter: @peterkmatika

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