Disney's 'Queen Of Katwe' Actress Nikita Pearl Dead At 15

The Ugandan child actress, Nikita Pearl Waligwa, who starred in the 2016 Disney movie “Queen Of Katwe” based on the extraordinary life of a local chess prodigy, has died at the age of 15 on Feb. 15. She had been suffering from a brain tumor and was first diagnosed with it in 2016.

Following her diagnosis in 2016, she made a full recovery but a year later, another tumor was detected. The news of her passing has prompted celebs and fans of the child actress to take to social media portals and express their grief and condolences over her untimely death.

"Fare thee well Nikita Pearl Waligwa. You were a darling to many and we have lost you to brain tumor at such a tender age," read the tweet by Gayaza High School, where Nikita studied at. "Rest in Perfect Peace dear."

Another "Queen of Katwe" star, Lupita Nyong'o posted a heartfelt message for Nikita, remembering how the young actress played Gloria with "such vibrancy."

“It is with great sadness that I post about the passing of Nikita Waligwa, the sweet, warm, talented girl whom I worked with on the film, Queen Of Katwe. She played Gloria with such vibrancy. In her real life she had the enormous challenge of battling brain cancer. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and community as they come to terms with having to say goodbye so soon. May she truly rest in piece. May it be well with her soul,” she wrote.

David Oyelowo, another cast member from “Queen Of Katwe” posted on Instagram, praising Nikita for being "a ball of light" in the film and in life.

“We mourn the loss of our beautiful Nikita Pearl Waligwa. She was a ball of light in @queenofkatwemovie and in life. Her battle with a brain tumor was humbling to witness. Her light will live on,” he wrote.

The 2016 Disney film, “Queen of Katwe” was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, who successfully completed her journey from being an uneducated girl living in Uganda’s slums to becoming the first female winner of Uganda's junior chess championships.