Disney’s Queen of Katwe Actress Nikita Pearl Waligwa Dies at 15

Nakita Pearl Waligwa, the Ugandan actress who starred in the 2016 Disney movie Queen of Katwe, has died. The 15-year-old had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016. Her family sought treatment in India. She recovered in 2017, but the tumor returned in 2019. In Queen of Katwe, based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, she played Gloria, the friend of a chess prodigy living in a Ugandan slum whose skill elevated her to compete on an international stage. In the film, Mutesi’s mentor, charity worker Robert Katende, is played by British actor David Oyelowo and her mother was played by Lupita Nyong’o.