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The Bell Tolls for Chadwick Boseman

3 Minute Read
Aug 28 2020
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The actor, known most for his role as King T’challa, died this evening after a 4 year battle with colon cancer.

Though Black Panther brought him into the international spotlight, Boseman’s career was filled with other powerful characters from real life – Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall – and fiction. He filmed Civil War, Marshall, Black Panther, Infinity War, Endgame, 21 Bridges and Da 5 Bloods while going through treatment including chemo and multiple surgeries.  This is a heartbreaking loss of an artist that was a fighter on and off the screen.

Today is a heavy day – it is the anniversary of Emmet Till’s death in 1955, MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963, what would have been Jack Kirby’s 103rd birthday, and now the passing of Chadwick Boseman.

I am currently at a loss for words, so I’ll let those that knew and worked with him do the talking.

 

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Shooting DRAFT DAY in Cleveland, Chad Boseman and I went to a baseball game to see the Indians play the Tigers. We had met on the set of the movie just days prior and had many things in common, including sharing an agent. I had scored sweet tickets behind the visitor’s dugout, but Chad was late getting to the park. He showed up with his cap pulled low and dark glasses. He was very apologetic for his tardiness. At first I thought the Incognito act and lateness might’ve been some Star Trip. It was anything but… It was a year or so removed from Chad’s breakthrough role as Jackie Robinson in 42. He explained what had happened, “there was a group of people outside my hotel. They had Jackie jersey, bats, all kinds of 42 stuff for me to sign… I had to slip out through the rear,” he got a bit choked up, “…look, I KNOW what Jackie means to people. I completely understand what he symbolizes and what he fought against. But I am NOT Jackie. I’m just an actor. I am not him.” I was floored by the humility of the man. Most actors I know (sadly myself included) would likely be puffed-up and full of their own awesomeness — not Chad. His Soul would never let his Ego win the Battle. That is what kind of man Chadwick Boseman was. As Fate would have it, Chad died on Jackie Robinson Day, 2020. I’ll bet Jackie was waiting at the plate to welcome him Home. FLY HIGH #42 and the Faux 42 — both were Great Men we were lucky to have in this earth.

A post shared by W Earl Brown (@wearlbrown) on

 

 

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Author: Mars Garrett
Pop culture writer and news editor that has been on the BoLS team since 2010. Contributor on the One of Us podcast. Marvel, Vertigo, Batman, and dystopian sci-fi fan. Enjoys bad movies, amazing stunt performances, and the internet. Hates rom-coms. (she/they)
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