It’s no secret that the cast of Marvel’s highly-anticipated Black Panther film is overflowing with Black excellence and the phenomenal ladies of the movie are already raking in rave reviews for their individual and collective performances.
As we prepare to honor Black Panther star Danai Gurira at the 11th annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards, here’s a quick look at 6 times her on-screen performances have left us in awe.
As Okoye, the head of T’Challa’s tribe of Black female bodyguards in ‘Black Panther’
As Afeni Shakur, a member of the Black Panther Party and the mother of rap icon, Tupac Shakur in ‘All Eyez On Me’
As Michone, the fearless fighter who joins Rick’s band of survivors on AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’
As Adenike Balogun in ‘Mother of George,’ an award-winning film about a Nigerian couple struggling with fertility issues
As Zainabm a Senagalese jewelry designer in the film, ‘Victory’
Bonus: As the playwright and mastermind behind ‘Eclipsed,’ the first Broadway play to feature an all-Black, all-female cast