Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed not only the legendary Black Panther but also barrier-breaking baseball star Jackie Robinson (42) and music icon James Brown (Gen on Up), died Friday, Aug. 28, of colon cancer at age 43. He died at his home in the Los Angeles area surrounded by his wife and family, his publicist Nicki Fioravante told The Associated Press. He is survived by his wife and one parent and had no children, Fioravante said.
The star had not spoken publicly about his diagnosis, but a statement his family made to The Associated Press said he was “privately undergoing countless surgeries and chemotherapy” in his fight with the disease, diagnosed in 2016 at stage 3.
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” his family said in the statement. “From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more—all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther. The family thanks you for your love and prayers.”
— Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) August 29, 2020
Boseman’s portrayal of the mythical Wakanda culture helped propel Black Panther, the only Marvel film to receive a best picture Oscar nomination, to more than $1.3 million in global box office receipts, according to the Associated Press. Fellow Marvel star Chris Pratt said in an Instagram post, “My prayers go out to Chadwick’s family and loved ones. The world will miss his tremendous talent. God rest his soul.”
Marvel entertainment said on Twitter that Boseman’s “legacy will live on forever.”
Our hearts are broken and our thoughts are with Chadwick Boseman’s family. Your legacy will live on forever. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/YQMrEJy90x
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) August 29, 2020
Boseman, a native of Anderson, South Carolina, is also remembered for a 2018 commencement speech to his alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C., which he began by saying, “First, giving honor to the Creator.” In the speech, he told the story of being chosen for a role on a soap opera and later let go after raising concerns about portraying a stereotypical role of a Black man with an absent father and heroin-addicted mother. As a part of the story, he quoted 1 Corinthians 6, “As the Scripture says, ‘I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it. But God kept growing—God kept it growing.’
“Yet and still, when you invest in a seed, watching it grow without you, that is a bitter pill to swallow,” Boseman said, adding: “Sometimes you need to feel the pain and sting of defeat to activate the real passion and purpose that God predestined inside of you.”
Please join the Charisma staff in prayers for Boseman’s family. {eoa}
