[ad_1]
Denzel Washington paid tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman as a ‘gentle soul and brilliant artist’ two years after it was revealed that the acting legend secretly paid for the 43-year-old Black Panther star to study acting at Oxford.
“He was a gentle soul and a brilliant artist, who will remain with us for eternity through his iconic performances during his short but illustrious career,” Washington, 65, told The Hollywood Reporter.
God bless Chadwick Boseman.
Washington, a two-time Oscar winner, helped help Boseman’s fledgling acting career.
In 2018, Boseman revealed that he may not have gotten to where he is now without indirect help from the Training Day star.
Denzel Washington (left) joined many Hollywood stars in mourning the passing of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman (right) on Friday.
“He was a gentle soul and a brilliant artist, who will stay with us for eternity through his iconic depictions during his short but illustrious career,” Washington, 65, said of Boseman. Boseman is seen above in a scene from the Disney movie Black Panther
Boseman shared more of the story, which he originally told Rolling Stone, during a March 2018 appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.
In the original interview, Chadwick revealed that while taking an acting class at Howard University, his teacher, Phylicia Rashad, encouraged him to study theater at the prestigious University of Oxford in the UK during a summer program.
Although he and his friends were accepted into the program, they could not afford to go.
That’s when Rashad, who played Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show, stepped in and “basically got some famous friends to pay us to go,” he told the magazine.
Although he wouldn’t originally say who paid other than insisting it wasn’t Bill Cosby, Boseman eventually relented and admitted that ‘Denzel paid for me.’
Fallon questioned him a bit more about the reveal.
Boseman went on to tell how he was finally able to thank the Hollywood legend in person.
Boseman invited Washington to the New York premiere of Black Panther, then thanked him profusely.
According to Boseman, Washington hilariously responded ‘Oh that’s why I’m here, you owe me money!’
Last year, Boseman spoke at the American Film Institute dinner where Washington was honored with a lifetime achievement award and recalled the story.
Boseman appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2018 and spoke about Washington’s generosity.
“I personally know that his generosity extends beyond what he has given on stage and screen,” Boseman told Washington and the rest of the audience in Los Angeles.
‘Many of you already know the story that Mr. Washington, when asked by Phylicia Rashad to join her in helping nine Howard University theater students who had been accepted into a summer acting program at the British Academy of Dramatic Acting at Oxford, Boseman said.
‘He graciously and privately agreed to contribute. As fate would have it, I was one of the students it paid for.
Boseman added: ‘Imagine getting a letter paying your tuition for that summer and your benefactor is none other than the dumbest actor on the planet.’
Boseman credited Washington with pioneering the black actor in Hollywood, saying, “There is no Black Panther without Denzel Washington.”
And not just for me, but for my entire cast. That generation is on your shoulders, ” he said.
Boseman died at the age of 43 on Friday after enduring a four-year battle with colon cancer.
Last year, Boseman paid tribute to Washington at a Hollywood dinner at which the two-time Oscar winner received the lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute.
In an announcement that surprised Hollywood, Boseman’s family said he had been diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago and died surrounded by loved ones, including his wife Taylor Simone Ledward.
He never spoke of the disease publicly and films such as Black Panther, Da 5 Bloods and Avengers: Endgame were filmed “during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy,” the family said.
The Boseman tributes came from across a shaky Hollywood.
Marvel director Kevin Feige, who cast him as Black Panther, said his death was “absolutely devastating,” while Get Out filmmaker Jordan Peele said it was a “crushing blow.”
Oscar winner Barry Jenkins and Marvel stars Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt also paid tribute.
Boseman was cast as the superhero T’Challa, the king of the African nation Wakanda, in 2014, and made his debut as the character in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.
Boseman studied acting at Howard University in a course taught by Phylicia Rashad of The Cosby Show. It was Rashad who got Washington and others to fund Boseman’s tuition for an exchange program at Oxford. Boseman and Rashad are seen up in 2015
Chris Evans played Captain America and said, ‘I’m absolutely devastated. This is beyond heartbreaking. Chadwick was special. A true original. He was a deeply engaged and constantly curious artist. He had a lot of incredible work to create. I am infinitely grateful for our friendship. Rest in power, king.
The launch of Black Panther in 2018, two years after Boseman was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer, was a historic moment for the performance in Hollywood.
Both the film and Boseman’s portrayal of the titular superhero garnered universal accolades and huge box office success.
It grossed more than $ 1.3 billion worldwide and earned an Oscar nomination for best picture, the first superhero movie to do so.
It also sparked a worldwide celebration of African culture, with the character’s famous ‘Wakanda Forever’ salute inspiring millions of people to feel an additional sense of pride in their African heritage.
A sequel, Black Panther 2, had been scheduled for release in 2022, but what will happen to the film now is unclear.
Born in South Carolina, Boseman originally wanted to become a writer and director, graduating from Howard University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in directing.
After moving to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career, Boseman’s big role came in the 2013 movie 42, in which he played baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson.
Boseman again assumed the role of a revered African-American figure when he played soul singer James Brown in the 2014 film Get on Up.
His most recent film was Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, which came out in June. He played an American soldier killed in action during the Vietnam War and was widely praised for his performance.
After moving to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career, Boseman’s big role came in the 2013 movie 42, in which he played baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson.
Boseman is set to make a posthumous appearance alongside Viola Davis in the upcoming drama film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
She wrote: ‘Chadwick … no words to express my devastation at losing you.
‘Your talent, your spirit, your heart, your authenticity …… It was an honor to work by your side, to get to know you … Rest well prince … May the flights of the angels sing you to your heavenly rest . I love you! ‘
Announcing his death, the family said: ‘It is with immeasurable pain that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. It was the honor of his life to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.
In his tribute, Feige, the mastermind behind the extraordinarily successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, said: ‘Chadwick’s passing is absolutely devastating. He was our T’Challa, our Black Panther, and our dear friend. Every time he went on set, he radiated charisma and joy, and every time he appeared on screen, he created something truly indelible. ‘
