'Black Panther' star Dorothy Steel passes away at 95, confirms her agent

Dorothy Steel, who played a tribal elder in the film Black Panther, died at the age of 95. Steel died on Friday morning at her Detroit home, according to her agent, Cindy Butler who informed People. There was no mention of a cause of death. Steel was in the middle of filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2018 superhero blockbuster.

The film began production in Atlanta this June, when she died, Steel was rushed back to Detroit to be with her family. She made her feature film debut in Black Panther as an elder of the Merchant Tribe. Her agent, Cindy Butler, also announced the news on Facebook, stating that the actress passed away at her home in Detroit on Friday morning.

'Black Panther' actress Dorothy Steel passes away at 95

“Thank you Ms. Dorothy for giving me the opportunity to ride this wave with you,” wrote Butler. “Thank you for all the Casting Directors who hired Ms. Dorothy. Thank you to the world for loving on her from afar. I received calls from all over the world wanting to interview or do a Bio pic of her life. She was very selective.”

Dorothy Steel's work in the film industry 

Daisy Winters, Poms, and Jumanji: The Next Level are among Steel's other films. She appeared on television shows including Bounce TV's Saints & Sinners and BET's The Oval when she wasn't on the big screen.  In Ryan Coogler's superhero picture Black Panther, Steel played a merchant tribe elder. She appeared in the comedy Poms, the TV movie Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses, and BET's The Oval after a recurring part as Mother Harris in the series Saints & Sinners. 

Steel was born in 1926 and didn't start performing until she was 88 years old. Her early credits include an episode of The Trouble With Going Somewhere, the television movie Merry Christmas, Baby, and the feature Daisy Winters. Steel was born in Detroit in 1926 and lived in Atlanta. She won her first-ever job as a tribal elder who gave knowledge to King T'Challa, played by the late Chadwick Boseman, fulfilling a lifelong goal. She did, however, play a minor role in Jumanji: The Next Level.

'Black Panther's success and awards 

When it was released in theatres in 2018, Black Panther grossed $1.34 billion globally, making it Marvel's highest-grossing non-Avengers picture of all time. It was also the first superhero film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Black Panther received seven Oscar nominations, with Best Score, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design taking home the honours.

“Per Ms. Dorothy, she told me to tell everyone that arrangements and flowers where to send will be posted via facebook,” wrote Butler in the Facebook post. “She was still telling me what to do. That was my Ms.Dorothy………….WAKANDAFOREVER.”

(IMAGE: Twitter - @SteveTVShow)