According to Variety, actor Nikita Pearl Waligwa has died at age 15.
Waligwa is best known for appearing in Disney's biographical drama "Queen of Katwe."
She was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016 and seemed to recover a year later. In 2019, another tumor was found. During the filming of Queen of Katwe, director Mira Nair helped organize efforts to fund Waligwa's treatment.
Queen of Katwe is a 2016 film written by William Wheeler, and starring David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o, and Madina Nalwanga. The film depicts the life of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan girl living in a slum in Katwe. She learns to play chess and becomes a Woman Candidate Master after her victories at World Chess Olympiads.
Waligwa played the character Gloria, a close friend of the main character, Phiona, who teaches her how to play chess.
Read the original story on Variety.
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