This week marks what would have been the 48th birthday of the late Chadwick Boseman. The incredibly talented actor passed away at his home back in 2020 from complications related to colon cancer. He was extremely private during his 4-year battle with his diagnosis, so much so that some of his fellow costars recall being caught off guard to learn about what he was dealing with. It was later revealed that a only a small group of individuals were kept in the loop including his agent, producing partner, and trainer.
Hearts shattered everywhere on August 28th, 2020 when the news broke, with many viewing Boseman as being well on his way to leading a very promising career. Denzel Washington financial assisted a group of students by paying their way to attend the British American Drama Academy’s Midsummer program to further their acting skills. One of those students turned out to be Boseman and he recalled how important Washington was to him and how much he admired his career. He gave a profound speech at the 2019 American Film Institute Awards as Washington was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. “There is no Black Panther without Denzel Washington.” It was a beautiful moment that gave Boseman the opportunity to say his thanks to the iconic actor on such a large stage infront of the world before he passed away a year later. We take a look at four times he brought some Black icons to life on the big screen.
Thurgood Marshall
Marshall is the 2017 film that stars Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice, and follows one of his first court cases. He leads an incredibly underated stacked cast that includes Kate Hudson Josh Gad, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, and James Cromwell. He shines, which is no surprise considering how talented and truly one of a kind he is. Boseman spoke with Entertainment Weekly about his choice to play culturally important figures and when asked about playing Marshall, he said, “I had already said I was not looking to play a real person and especially not an important real person, a famous real person… to play Thurgood Marshall was just not in my scope, not in my focus. I was convinced of it because of the script…”. We’re glad he did as the film was very well written and highlighted the importance of Marshall and the barriers he broke through for people of color looking to get into the field of law.
Jackie Robinson
This is the one that did it: changed Boseman’s career permanently. In 2013, Boseman channeled baseball legend Jackie Robinson in the biopic, 42. He had done a lot of work prior to this film, but it was 42 that put him on the map and truly exposed him to audiences as having a ton of potential. Not only did he do Robinson justice, but he also managed to tell a compelling story and catch many eyes for doing so. Shortly after that, Boseman was cast in many projects and, while he is a stand out actor, I have always attributed his portrayal of Robinson as his breakout role. There are many biopics that are churned out every year, but this one stands in the category of one of the better ones.
James Brown
Get On Up was released one year after 42 and further proved Boseman’s brilliance was showing no signs of slowing down. He absolutely killed it in the film that chronicles the highs and lows of music icon James Brown. This is when his name further began to ring around Hollywood even more as he delivered two completely different performances in such a way that you can’t help but be in awe of his acting abilities. The way he channeled Brown from the moves to the attitude was so on par with the man himself. His precise way of tapping into the mannerisms of the person he is depicting was such a marvel to see. Those acting classes Washington paid for way back definitely show as Boseman really embodies what it means to truly own a role and make it yours.
Black Panther
Many Marvel films have rocked the box office for their exciting plot, action sequences, and inclusion of some fan favorite comicbook heroes. But we as a Black community hadn’t had a hero that looked like us that had the magnitude of a Superman or a Batman. That all changed when Boseman was cast as T’Challa in Black Panther. It was more than just a film, it was a movement. The press tour included Boseman stopping all over the world and the pure joy of seeing little Brown girls and boys smiling and crying at the sign of him was a so moving because we knew it was deeper that meeting a celebrity.
He brought to life a comic book character that was different from the rest. Then the film released and shattered box office numbers because, not only was it the first solo film for a Black Marvel hero, the movie itself was impressively well done and told a great story. Boseman left behind a beautiful legacy as his portrayal of T’Challa has a long lasting impact that can still be felt long after he has left us.