Disney actress Nikita Pearl Waligwa dies at age 15
Nikita Pearl Waligwa, a 15-year-old rising star from Uganda who was featured in Disney’s “Queen of Katwe,” has died after a brain tumor diagnosis, according to local media. The 2016 film starred Waligwa alongside Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo, who described the young star as “a ball of light” in a touching Instagram post.
The movie was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a chess prodigy, who learned the game at age nine and went on to compete in international competitions. Waligwa played Gloria, Mutesi’s friend, with Nyong’o taking on the role as Mutesi’s mother and Oyelowo as her chess teacher.
According to local media, Waligwa was first diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016 and the movie’s director Mira Nair organized fundraising efforts to help fund her treatment in India.
