LOS ANGELES (AP) – First Chadwick Boseman clings to Jackie Robinson’s cleats, then the godfather of Soul’s dance shoes, presenting both black American symbols with a serrating intensity that pays homage. While the former playwright suited Black Panther, he brought cool intellectual gravity to Marvel superheroes whose “Wakanda Forever!” Salutations reverberated worldwide.
As his Hollywood career picked up, however, Bozman was privately running “numerous surgeries and chemotherapy” to treat bowel cancer, his family announced his death on Friday at the age of. Would have been diagnosed, but never spoke about it in public.
The cancer was there when his character T. Challa visited the ancestral “Astral Plane” in the gruesome scenes of the scout-nominated “Black Panther”, when he became the producer on the first action thriller “21 Bridge” and there last summer when he met his hero Adapted play by August Wilson. He was there when he played the role of a revolutionary black leader – only visible in flashbacks and visions – whose death has been mourned at the hands of Vietnam War comrades in Spike Lena’s “Da 5 Bloods.”
“A true fighter, Chadwick has been constantly striving for it all, and has brought you into many films that you have loved so much,” his family said. Bringing King T’Challa to life in the Black Panther was an honor for his career. “Bossman’s death was at his home in the Los Angeles area, next to his wife and family,” his publicist Nicki Fioravante told the Associated Press.
Born and raised in South Carolina where he played Little League Baseball and AAU Basketball, Boseman graduated from Howard University in Washington DC, writing plays, acting and directing in theaters, and his role in television
Color-demolishing baseball star Robinson’s stunning portrayal of Harrison Ford in 2013’s “42” Drew attention in Hollywood and made it a star. A year later, he wowed the audience as Brown in the biopic “Get Up”.
Boseman died on the day Major League Baseball was celebrating Jackie Robinson Day. His stellar performance in “42૨” will stand the test of time and serve as a powerful vehicle for telling the audience Jackie’s story until the next pay story. “
Expression of shock and frustration Poured from fellow artists, athletes, musicians, Hollywood Titans, fans and politicians late Friday. Viola Davis, who starred with Boseman in “Get On Up” and the upcoming Wilson adaptation, said: “Chadwick ….. there are no words to express my devastation at losing you. Your talent, your spirit, your heart, your honesty. “
“He was a humble soul and a brilliant artist who will be with us forever through his iconic performances,” said Denzel Washington, who funded the scholarship for Bosman, who studied theater at Xford and produced the upcoming Wilson film. .
Disney executive chairman Bob Eger calls Bozman “an extraordinary genius, and one of the most humble and generous souls I’ve ever met.” “Captain America” calls actor Chris Evans Boseman a “true native.” He was a deeply committed and constantly fantastic artist. He still has a lot of work to do. ”
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden tweeted that Boseman “inspired generations and showed them that they can be anything they want – even superheroes.” Boseman’s final tweet was about himself and the U.S. Sen. Kamala was an image of Harris celebrating Biden’s choice as a running mate.
His T’Challa character was first introduced into the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016 – “Captain Captain America: Civil W, R” and his “Wakanda Forever” salute became a pop culture landmark two years ago after the release of “Black Panther”. Was.
“I don’t think the world was ready for a ‘Black Panther’ movie before this moment. Socially and politically he was not ready for it, ”he told the AP at the time.
The film’s vision of rhetoric and technologically advanced culture of Wakanda resonated with the audience, some of them dressed in African costumes and helped the “Black Panther” make more than 1. 1.3 billion. On global office fees. This is the only Marvel studio film to receive the best picture for a Picture Scar nomination.
Bozman said he could identify more easily Along with the film’s adversary, played by Michael B. Jordan, who was cut off from the roots of his ancestors: “I was born with some Kimnagar in me, and I learned T’chala during my studies,” he told AP during the promotion. Said. Film.
“That’s where you start. All African Americans, unless they have a direct relationship, are separated from the past. There are things that cannot be tracked, “he added. “You were a sold product. So as an African American it is very difficult to connect directly to Africa at some point. I have made that part of my life in my quest. Those things were already there when I got into the role. ”
The character was last seen standing quietly in a black suit in “Avengers: Endgame” at Tony Stark’s funeral. A “Black Panther” sequel was announced, and it was one of the studio’s most anticipated upcoming films.
Even early in his career, Bozman was clear about the industry – and even skepticism – about which he would become an international star.
“You don’t have as much accurate experience as a black actor as you do as a white actor. You don’t have equal opportunities. It is clear and true. “The best way to put it is: how often do you watch a movie about a black hero who has a love story … has spirituality. He has intelligence. That’s weird to say, but it doesn’t happen often. “
“Black Panther,” written and directed by Ryan Coogle Gler, He helped communicate in Hollywood about the importance of featuring non-white characters in his very high-profile films in Hollywood and stopping non-white filmmakers. Actor Simu Liu, playing the Asian character in Marvel’s debut film, tweeted: “Without Chadwick, and what he gave to his character, there is no Shang Chi. Duration. My career rides on a great man’s cottage. ”
In addition to Robinson and Brown, Bozman won the U.S. Open in 2017. Supreme Court Judge Thurgood Marshall – played the role of “Marshal”. He brought to life greater historical figures than life with the same spiritual, reserved pride – interrupted by a disturbance of sparkling understanding – that would later lead to T’Challa.
Last year, he took his first production job in the action thriller “21 Bridges.” In which he also acted. Boseman completed one last performance in the Netflix adaptation of Gust Wilson’s “Maa Rainy Black Bottom”.
He paid tribute to the famous playwright for his portrayal of the Black experience, writing in the 2001 Los Angeles Times essay: To this shore … in the same way that Wilson’s work was influenced by the blues of Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters and WC Handy, my plays merged with Tupac, Biggie and Black Star. ”
Boseman first entered the theater, starred in plays and wrote plays as an undergraduate at Howard. He visited Africa for the first time during his college days with director and theater professor Mike Malone, working in Ghana to collect and celebrate rituals with performances on the Proscenium stage. He told the AP that the trip was the most important experience of my life.
Boseman has played roles on TBC shows such as ABC Family’s “Lincoln Heights” and NBC’s “Person Unknown”, but before “3” he only acted in one film, the 2008 football drama “The Express”.
Asked about his own childhood heroes and symbols, Boseman cited black political leaders and musicians: Malik Olm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Marley, the public enemy, A Tribal Quilt Quest, and Prince.
While deeply cautious in his private and often public appearances and interviews, he made it clear that he understood the significance of his work and its impact on the wider culture.
At the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards, “Black Panther” got the best part, electrifying the room. Before the auditorium full of artists, Chadwick Boseman set foot on the microphone. He quoted Nina Simon: “To be young, smart and black,” and put the moment in context.
“We know what it’s like to say that there’s no screen to show you, which is a platform to show you. … We know what is below and what is not above. And that’s what we go to work with every day, “Bozman said. “We know we can create the world we want, the world we want. We knew we had something to give. ”
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The report was contributed by AP film writer Jack Coyle.
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