QUEEN OF KATWE Actor Nikita Pearl Waligwa Has Died at 15

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.