Chadwick Boseman was showered with praises by his family and friends on Thursday during a ceremony in Los Angeles to honor him with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Boseman died on August 28, 2020, at the age of 43 after battling colon cancer. Prior to his death, his medical condition was not publicly known.
In what was an emotional event, Boseman was eulogized by his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward Boseman, as well as his Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom costar, Viola Davis, and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler.
“I have to believe that Chadwick is still alive,” Davis, 60, said at the event, per CNN. “I can’t use the word ‘gone’ or ‘death’ really when thinking about him.”
Davis highlighted that Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was the last movie Boseman featured in before he sadly passed away, adding that he “was always trying to engage me on the set” discussing the “cap of success.” She also said that the manner of conversations that Boseman had on set was the kind she believes people engage in when they are aware they “possibly are transitioning.”
Davis also described Boseman as a “mighty mighty elixir that sort of stirred up the alchemy that we’re all in search of, which is meaning.”
“I celebrate him today. And I say to him, I hope all the angels in heaven just sang him to a beautiful rest,” Davis added. “And I thank him for what he left behind in me, which is a burning ember that always guides me to a higher meaning of my work and my purpose.”
“This star, as beautiful as it is on the Walk of Fame, shines a whole lot less brighter than Chadwick is in heaven,” she concluded.
Coogler, who directed Black Panther, the box-office hit and record-breaking movie which saw Boseman playing the lead actor, visibly fought back tears during his speech. Coogler, 39, in his speech, recalled their first meeting to talk about Black Panther and how they quickly became friends, Marvel.com reported. He also recalled Boseman going on stealth mode in a packed hotel, sneaking past several celebrities and journalists to meet him.
“I asked him how he got past everybody,” Coogler told the crowd, “and he smiled at me and said, ‘That was the Panther.’”
The Sinners director further touched on Boseman’s contributions and selflessness while on set for Black Panther. “This man — who was already cast as the Black Panther — came to every single audition and every single callback that I asked him to come to,” Coogler recalled.
“Sometimes he would be busy when we would schedule one, and he would race across town to read across from the other actors. He would come to every rehearsal. He even worked with the actor that was portraying [a young T’Challa]. He was incredibly generous with his time on set. Even though he was going through what he was going through, he would do his own stunts. He would be there for off-camera dialogue readings. It was incredible.”
Coogler also touched on Boseman’s off-screen activities, how he was an advocate for Black voices in film, and his generosity to his alma mater, Howard University.
“He gave so many other gifts,” Coogler stated. “The gifts of his incredible performances, which inspired actors all over the world. The gift of being close to greatness. This is something that people who maybe played ice hockey with Wayne Gretzsky can attest to, people who played basketball with Michael Jordan can attest to. There’s something special about being close to somebody who’s that great. You realize how much you don’t measure up, but you also realize how much the human body is capable of. Chad showed that every day. Even when he knew his days were limited and his moments were numbered, he still gave to the art form.”
Boseman’s widow gave the final speech, and she similarly eulogized him. “Chad, today we recognize a lifetime of artistry. We recognize your skill and your devotion and we cement your legacy as a hero and icon,” she said.
“You lived with honor and you walked in truth. You were as brilliant as you were beautiful and as courageous as you were kind. We love you, we miss you and we thank you.”
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