Chadwick Boseman died this week at the age of 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer.
His death was announced Friday on Instagram.
“Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV,” the post reads. “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.”
In a February 2018 interview with Sirius XM, the same month “Black Panther” was released, Boseman spoke to the cultural impact of the movie.
He specifically talked about the impact the film had on two young boys who were battling cancer ahead of the film’s release.
“There are two little kids ... who recently passed from cancer. And throughout our filming, I was communicating with them, knowing that they were both terminal,” Boseman said. “And what they said to me -- and their parents said -- they’re just trying to hold on until this movie comes.”
“You hear them say that, and you’re like... I gotta get up and go to the gym. I gotta get up to go to work. I gotta learn these lines. I gotta work on this accent,” he continued.
“It’s a humbling experience because you’re like, ’This can’t mean that much to them’ ... And I think back now to [when I was] a kid and just, you know waiting for Christmas to come, waiting for my birthday to come, waiting for a toy that I was gonna get a chance to experience ... I did live life waiting for those moments ... To experience those two little boys’ anticipation of this movie...”
Boseman, who was privately battling cancer himself at the time, got emotional and paused as he started to cry.
“It means a lot,” he said.
Watch the full video below.
Cox Media Group
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