Lupita Nyong'o writes moving tribute to 'Black Panther' co-star Chadwick Boseman

Lupita Nyong'o has shared a moving remembrance of her friend and "Black Panther" co-star Chadwick Boseman, "a man who made the most of his time, and somehow also managed to take his time."

The Oscar-winning actress posted a joyous photo of them together on Tuesday and shared a lengthy tribute on Instagram to Boseman, who died at 43 on Aug. 29 from colon cancer.

"I write these words from a place of hopelessness, to honor a man who had great hope," she wrote. "I am struggling to think and speak about my friend, Chadwick Boseman, in the past tense. It doesn't make sense. The news of his passing is a punch to my gut every morning.

"I am aware that we are all mortal, but you come across some people in life that possess an immortal energy, that seem like they have existed before, that are exactly where they are supposed to always be - here! ... that seem ageless ... Chadwick was one of those people."

Watch TODAY All Day! Get the best news, information and inspiration from TODAY, all day long.

Nyong'o, 37, remembered when she first worked with Boseman on "Black Panther," which was a global blockbuster in 2018 that grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide.

"Chadwick was a man who made the most of his time, and somehow also managed to take his time," she wrote. "I didn't know him for long, but he had a profound effect on me in the time that I did.

"When we came together to make 'Black Panther,' I remember being struck by his quiet, powerful presence. He had no airs about him, but there was a higher frequency that he seemed to operate from. You got the sense that he was fully present and also somehow fully aware of things in the distant future. As a result, I noticed that Chadwick never seemed rushed! He commanded his time with ease."

Nyong'o said that Boseman created "an ego-free environment" on the set and was a reassuring presence during filming.

"Chadwick's hands were strong enough to carry the weight of the film and free enough to clasp mine when I needed it," she wrote.

She also remembered that he never complained on the set and would tell "lame dad jokes."

"He accepted himself," she wrote. "And perhaps that's why he was capable of loving so many, so deeply."

Boseman did his own stunts, served as a drummer at parties, practiced martial arts and loved to dance, Nyong'o wrote. His bright spirit had an effect on those around him.

"When I was around Chadwick, I wanted to be better, less petty, more purposeful," she wrote. "He was fueled by love, not fear."

"We are all charged by his work as a result, by his presence in our lives," she continued.

Nyong'o wrote that in Boseman's honor, she promises "not to waste my time" and urged others to do the same, ending her post with the hashtag #TakeYourTimeButDontWasteYourTime.

Her tribute is the latest in an outpouring triggered by Boseman's death, including a host of celebrities, the cast of "Black Panther," including co-star Michael B. Jordan, the daughter of James Brown, whom Boseman portrayed on screen, and scores of kids who became Black Panther fans after seeing the movie.