Respected American actor Chadwick Boseman passed away on August 28th after a long battle with colon cancer, spanning over four years. Chadwick Boseman rose to international stardom by playing the titular character in the Marvel movie Black Panther. There is a sad irony to be found in the fact that King T’Challa fought against rebellions and a rival ideology while the real-life actor was fighting against the deadly disease. “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy,” his family said in a statement.
Chadwick Boseman Born and raised in South Carolina, where he played Little League baseball and AAU basketball, Boseman graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C. He wrote plays, acted and directed in theatre and had small roles in television before landing his breakthrough role.
In the movie 42, Boseman played Jackie Robinson, the first African-American in American Major League Baseball, and made waves in Hollywood with his realistic depiction of having to fight against racism and prejudice to receive the same opportunities as his white teammates. The themes of racism, black cultural heritage and oppression would become a common thread running through the actor’s career, as he strove to use his platform to send a message with movies like Marshall, Get On Up and Black Panther (the only Marvel movie till date to receive a Best Picture nomination for the Academy Awards).
Fans, coworkers and admirers around the world took to social media to grieve the actor’s loss, as they had all been watching on with anticipation to see what role the actor would portray next. On the day that he passed away, Major League Baseball had coincidentally been celebrating Jackie Robinson Day, and announcers Joe Davis and Oral Hershiser announced his sad demise as all the players wore the number 42 in honour of the Robinson.
