Chadwick Boseman was an American actor known for his portrayals of
Jackie Robinson in '42' and James Brown in 'Get on Up.' He also played
the superhero Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Chadwick Aaron Boseman was born in 1976 in South Carolina and went on to
attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., graduating with a Bachelor
of Fine Arts in directing. (In 2018, he gave the commencement speech at
Howard and received an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters.) He
then attended the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England.
Boseman has performed in a number of stage productions, including
Breathe, Romeo and Juliet, Bootleg Blues, Zooman, and Willie's Cut and
Shine.
He won an AUDELCO award for his role as the teen E.J. in 2002's
Urban Transitions: Loose Blossoms, a play by Ron Milner about a
struggling African American family pulled in by the temptation of fast
cash.
He's also worked as part of the Hip Hop Theatre Festival and has written
the plays Hieroglyphic Graffiti, Deep Azure and Rhyme Deferred.
Additionally, he has directed a number of stage productions, as well as
the short film Blood Over a Broken Pawn.
In 2008 Boseman landed a recurring role as Nathaniel Ray on the ABC
Family drama Lincoln Heights, which focused on a suburban family who
relocates to the urban community where the police officer patriarch was
raised.
In 2012 Boseman played the lead role in the film The Kill Hole, directed
by Mischa Webley. The indie production revolves around the life of a
Portland, Oregon, taxi driver who's also an Iraq War veteran, haunted by
memories of his past and drafted for a new mission by a private firm.
Around the same time, Boseman won the lead role in the Jackie Robinson
biopic 42, which tells the story of the legendary baseball player who
broke racial barriers by becoming the first African American to play in
the majors in the 20th century.
After his starring role in 42, Boseman's career continued to take off.
He was named the Male Star of Tomorrow by the National Association of
Theater Owners in February 2014. Boseman then appeared in the 2014
football film Draft Day, with
Kevin Costner
and
Jennifer Garner.
Also in 2016, Boseman joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his
appearance in the superhero ensemble blockbuster Captain America: Civil
War. He played T'Challa, king of the African country of Wakanda, who
becomes the powerful Black Panther.
The film not only shattered box office records upon its February 2018
release, raking in an estimated $218 million domestically over the
four-day President's Day weekend, it went on to earn an Academy Award
nomination for Best Picture.
Boseman's Black Panther later rejoined Iron Man, Thor, Captain America
and other Marvel cohorts on screen for Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and
Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Boseman passed away on August 28, 2020, from colon cancer. "It is with
immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman," a
statement posted on his social media accounts read."Chadwick was
diagnosed with stage III
colon cancer
in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to
stage IV. A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and
brought you many of the films you have come to love so much."
If you want to know more about this beautiful human being, visit
his wikipedia entry.