Black Panther star Letitia Wright credited her belief in God for pulling her out of a deep depression while accepting the “Rising Star” award at a British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards ceremony on Sunday.
Letitia Wright, who starred as teenaged tech genius Shuri in the hit action movie, said, “I identify myself as a child of God,” Wright told the audience, “and I can’t get up here without thanking God.”
Wright went on to detail that her faith in Jesus helped bring her out of a serious mental state.
“A few years ago, I saw myself in a deep state of depression, and I literally wanted to quit acting,” Wright confessed. “The only thing that pretty much pulled me out of that was God, my belief, my faith, my family, and an email from BAFTA saying they wanted me to be a part of the BAFTA Breakthrough Brits, and I was like, ‘let me try again.'”
Noting that her career is still growing and that she was not an overnight success, Wright urged those who may be experiencing depression to rely on faith to power through.
“I want to encourage you that God made you and you’re important,” Wright concluded. “There might be some of you that’s going through depression, that’s going through a bad time, and you’re putting on a smile, and nobody can see that. But you know it, and God knows it, and I just want to encourage you, and I just want to say that God loves you and just let your light shine.”
Wright reprised her role as Shuri in the Marvel superhero film, Avengers: Infinity War, and is scheduled to appear in the upcoming final chapter, Avengers: Endgame.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.