ST. LOUIS — Imagine turning the corner on 39 and heading towards 40 years of age and being told right around that time that you have stage 3 colon cancer. This happened to Chadwick Boseman back in 2016.
Most people would curl up, cry, and scream at the injustice of their mortality. Boseman just got to work, even as the disease strengthened its grip to stage 4. He went a little harder, somewhat faster, and truly got to work. He made three "Avengers" films after that, as well as a film about Thurgood Marshall and a cop thriller called "21 Bridges." Boseman wasn't thinking about money; he had legacy in mind. A need to provide for his family and leave a mark on Hollywood before he left.
Boseman passed away on Friday in Los Angeles with his family by his side, a warrior and king finally choosing sleep after a four year battle. A feeling both surreal and shocking as it struck fans late last night, with the Associated Press coming in first, and others following. Fellow co-stars and friends like Don Cheadle, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and several others. A short life that touched a lot of souls in the process. The only reason that happened was due to the fact that Boseman never backed down from cancer. In classic T'Challa fashion, this "Black Panther" never stopped working.
Trust me, he knew he was leaving early. Believe that. He saw the clock ticking down. I can't imagine being told that you won't make it to 45 years of age, but this guy took it in stride and gave fans what they needed. Boseman showed his true colors after the diagnosis, bringing light to people's worlds. I remember first seeing him play Vontae Mack in "Draft Day" with Kevin Costner, a young football player with a family hoping to get drafted. The movie plays out like a game of charades, with nobody really knowing the true intentions of Costner's General Manager all movie long. In the end, he was supporting Mack from the jump. The same way movie audiences supported Boseman.
He returned the favor. If young actors need a blueprint on how to make a quick dent, follow Boseman's trek. He got his first film role in 2008, playing Floyd Little in "The Express." It was a small part, but enough for Boseman to get his foot in the door. After ten different television roles, he was back on big screens in "The Kill Hole" in 2012 but struck gold in 2013 with "42." Brian Hedgeland's tale of the legendary African American baseball talent who broke the color barrier in the big leagues placed the entire spotlight on Boseman. Harrison Ford and others were terrific, but Boseman had the stage to himself finally after 19 roles and 10 years of scrapping in the Hollywood game.
He never left the spotlight. Some actors play thug #3 or the third henchman for most of their careers; Boseman went a different way. He selected vital African American heroes to build a career with. After Robinson, Boseman went on to play James Brown in "Get on Up," Thurgood Marshall in the aforementioned "Marshall," and that one slick-dressing and fast-moving dude from the Marvel films. He did most of this while struggling with cancer. As his family and representatives pointed out in the tweet above, Boseman was in and out of surgeries and chemotherapy as he completed these final roles. A man on a mission, one who never quit or took his eye off the prize.
Just another kidney shot from 2020. When COVID-19 isn't pushing our world and future around, great souls like Boseman are departing too soon. How can I tell he's a good one? Look at the people around him crying right now. Take a long look at the strangers who didn't know him, yet were touched by his work, weighing in right now. You're only as good as what people say about you once the time is up on the clock. Boseman never wavered or complained about the aggressive promotional campaigns that accompany a role in the Marvel Universe. He stopped by hospitals to visit sick kids, like a couple years ago at St. Jude. He surprised fans at movie theaters, most likely drained from chemo and just dying to settle into one of those seats and take a nap. But he kept going.
While he played kings and powerful men in the movies, Boseman showed his true strength and heart away from the camera. The man had a smile that could brighten a week, and he never stopped using it. When your own life is turned upside down, it's a standard process to turn inward and revolt from the operating world. Boseman ran in the opposite direction though. Maybe that's the reason I'm crying right now as I write this.
Please save your "he was an actor and you didn't know him" comment for someone else. You don't have to know actors or musicians to be touched by their work. That's not the way art and its beauty works. Strangers meet strangers through the appreciation of a stranger's work. I bet you don't know Paul McCartney or DMX, but you were touched by their work. Their lyrics and the way they sang them hit you right in the chest. It brought you warmth and grace during tough times. That's what Boseman did for so many. Terribly sick and weak, he rose up and pleased the world with his work. You don't have to own his cell phone number or email in order to feel a connection to him. The movies were our mutual friend.
I am sure if you asked a young kid if they felt as if they knew Boseman due to his outstanding work as T'Challa onscreen, they would say yes. I am sure it gave a young soul hope to see an African American star shine on the big screen. In a violent world that's eating away at itself every day, Boseman was a soulful reprieve.
While one can look to several other notable movies to talk about his greatness, I will save my closing moments here by mentioning two of his last roles. "21 Bridges" had that 80's cop drama veneer, but Boseman made it special. It was a movie that rested on his shoulders. While it didn't break the bank or bring him endless kudos, the film spun on his axis. The conviction, charisma, and belief in his lead were unchallenged.
The other one was the last film I watched him in, Spike Lee's "Da 5 Bloods." A film where Boseman only played a supporting role, yet his presence permeated throughout the entire film. The leader of a small platoon of soldiers in Vietnam, Boseman's Stormin Norman was the basis for the film's plot, a warm blanket across its somber story line. If you can watch his final scene with Delroy Lindo towards the end of the film and NOT cry, you're stronger than me. I broke upon watching it this morning.
That's because we need more people like Boseman, not less. It's not just his impact on the movies, even if there was a comedic vein he never quite pierced during his career. The man made people happy and brought it every day. He was a beacon of light during a dark time in our history. A good soul among too many bad. A giant now floating across the civilian.
He will be missed. Boseman completed just 15 cinema roles during his 12-year reign at the multiplex. There will be one more coming ahead, Netflix's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." That will be Boseman's swan song, and a fine way to go out. A part in a film adapted from a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by August Wilson is a strong finish.
But again, a life taken too soon. Taken on the same day Major League Baseball teams honor the late Robinson by all wearing #42. I can't recall being this shocked by an actor's death since Heath Ledger unexpectedly overdosed on prescription drugs back in 2008. The same year a young man named Chadwick made his cinema debut.
Rest in peace, King. You did things the right way, and never stopped lifting people up with your work. A smile, leg kick, or sprint down the underground parking lot. Perhaps a knowing nod and hug. Whatever it was, Chadwick Boseman lit a fire under the screen. I'll remember him. Isn't that the goal? Do enough to be remembered. Boseman did enough in one lifetime to fulfill two life goals.
Imagine being told your life was going to end a lot sooner than you thought. What would you do? Cry and complain about your unlucky trek, perhaps? Boseman just got to work. That's all he ever did.
Final words. Please, Marvel, don't recast T'Challa. Not in my lifetime. Just let it breathe and build its own legacy. For once in this business, choose heart over commerce. Do that for your king.
