[ad_1]
By AP 
2h ago
Actor Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown with searing intensity before finding fame as the real black panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, died Friday of cancer, his representative said. He was 43 years old.
Boseman died at his home in the Los Angeles area with his wife and family by his side, his publicist Nicki Fioravante told The Associated Press.
Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago, his family said in a statement.
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all and brought you many of the movies you have come to love so much,” said his family.
“From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several others, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of her career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther. “
– Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) August 29, 2020
Boseman had not spoken publicly about his diagnosis. He is survived by his wife and one of his parents and he had no children, Fioravante said.
Born in South Carolina, Boseman graduated from Howard University and had small television roles before his first turn as a star in 2013.
His surprising portrayal of stoic baseball star Robinson alongside Harrison Ford in 2013’s “42” caught Hollywood attention and made him a star.
Boseman died one day when Major League Baseball was celebrating Jackie Robinson’s Day.
“Her momentous performance in ’42’ will stand the test of time and serve as a powerful vehicle for telling Jackie’s story to audiences for generations to come,” the league wrote in a tweet.
“This is a crushing blow,” actor and director Jordan Peele said on Twitter, one of many who expressed shock when the news spread on social media.
“This broke me,” said actor and writer Issa Rae.
His T’Challa character was first introduced in the blockbuster Marvel films in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” and his salute to “Wakanda Forever” resonated around the world after the release of “Black Panther.” ” two years ago.
The film’s vision of Wakanda’s Afrofuturism and technologically advanced civilization resonated with audiences, some of whom wore African attire at screenings and helped propel “Black Panther” to more than $ 1.3 billion at the global box office. It is the only Marvel Studios film to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture.
The character was last seen standing quietly in a black suit at Tony Stark’s funeral in last year’s “Avengers: Endgame.” A sequel to “Black Panther” had been announced, and it was one of the studio’s most anticipated upcoming films.
Even early in his Hollywood career, Boseman was clear-eyed, and even skeptical, of the industry in which he would become an international star.
“You don’t have exactly the same experience as a black actor as you do as a white actor. You don’t have the same opportunities. That’s obvious and true, “he told the AP while promoting” 42. “
“The best way to put it is: How often do you watch a movie about a black hero who has a love story … has a spirituality? Has intellect. Strange to say, but it doesn’t happen that often. “
In addition to Robinson and Brown, Boseman played future US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in 2017’s “Marshall.”
He humanized larger-than-life historical figures with the same silent dignity, interrupted by flashes of brilliant wit, which would later lead to T’Challa.
He took on his first job as a producer on last year’s action thriller “21 Bridges,” in which he also starred, and was last seen on screen in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” as the leader of a. group of black soldiers in the Vietnam War.
It took some time for Boseman’s moment to come. He first entered theater, acting, and playwriting while studying at Howard. Boseman had roles in such television shows as ABC Family’s “Lincoln Heights” and NBC’s “Persons Unknown,” but prior to “42” he had only acted in one movie, the 2008 soccer drama “The Express.” Boseman attracted attention, but he missed large parts.
“2011 was a difficult year,” he said. “I was prepared for everything that was happening that year, really good roles. I would go all the way and then go to someone else. “
Boseman completed one last performance, in an adaptation of August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” The Netflix movie, starring Boseman alongside Viola Davis, finished shooting last summer.
When asked about his own childhood heroes and icons, Boseman cited black political leaders and musicians: Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Marley, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and Prince.
Deeply private and often reserved in his public appearances and interviews, he made it clear that he understood the importance of his work and its impact on the culture at large.
At the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Award, “Black Panther” won the best cast award, electrifying the room. Before an auditorium full of actors, Chadwick Boseman stepped up to the microphone. He quoted Nina Simone: “Being young, talented and black,” then put the moment in context.
“We know what it is to be told that there is no screen to appear on, a stage to appear on. … We know what it is to be below and not above. And that’s what we were going to work with every day, ”Boseman said.
“We knew that we could create a world that exemplified the world we wanted to see. We knew we had something to give ”.
Ryan Pearson Article
[ad_2]
