Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman dies at 43 after battle with cancer
‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman dies aged 43 after private four year battle with colon cancer – as his wife and family pay tribute to ‘a true fighter’ and Marvel co-star Chris Evans says ‘Rest in power, King’
- Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman has died at age 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer
- His family confirmed his passing in a statement on social media Friday revealing the actor was diagnosed with stage III cancer in 2016
- Boseman is survived by his wife and a parent and had no children, his publicist said. He had kept his diagnosis and much of his private life under wraps
- The star was reported to be dating Taylor Simone Ledward in 2019 and the couple was last seen in public together in February, but their marriage was never reported
- News of Boseman’s death came on the day the MLB was celebrating Jackie Robinson Day, commemorating the iconic baseball star the actor portrayed in the 2013 biopic ’42’
- Several of Boseman’s hit films between 2016 and 2020 were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy, his family revealed
By Karen Ruiz For Dailymail.com and Associated Press
Published: 22:16 EDT, 28 August 2020 | Updated: 01:08 EDT, 29 August 2020
Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman has died after a private four-year battle with colon cancer, his family said in a statement on Friday. He was 43.
The actor passed away at his home in the Los Angeles area with his wife and family by his side. They did not specify when he died.
‘It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. 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 family said.
‘A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much.’
The family revealed many of Boseman’s recent films, including Marshall, Da 5 Bloods, and August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, were filmed ‘during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.’
Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman has died at age 43 after private four-year battle with colon cancer, his family said
His family confirmed his passing in a statement on social media on Friday, saying the actor had been diagnosed with stage III cancer in 2016
Boseman is survived by his wife Taylor Simone Ledward (pictured) and a parent and had no children. The couple was last seen together at the 69th NBA All-Star Game in Chicago in February. Their marriage was not publicly reported until his death
Boseman’s most memorable role was his 2018 performance as T’Challa, king of the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda and the crime fighter known as Black Panther, in the first major studio superhero movie featuring a predominantly African-American cast. (Pictured during the film’s premiere in London)
‘It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther,’ the statement said. ‘The family thanks you for your love and prayers, and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.’
Boseman is survived by his wife – presumed to be Taylor Simone Ledward – and a parent and had no children, his publicist said. The actor had kept his diagnosis and much of his private life under wraps.
He had been reported to be dating Ledward after the pair were spotted together on the red carpet at the 2019 SAG awards, but his marriage was not reported until his death.
The couple was last seen together in February at the 69th NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
Boseman had not spoken publicly about his cancer diagnosis, but had sparked concerns over health earlier this year after fans took note of his unusually thin appearance.
Born in South Carolina, Boseman graduated from Howard University and had small roles in television before his first star turn in 2013.
The actor had been known for playing real-life figures, including professional baseball player Jackie Robinson in 2013 biopic, 42, James Brown in 2014’s Get On Up, and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in 2017’s Marshall.
Bosewick (pictured left with Marvel creator Stan Lee in 2018) found fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe. Marvel Studios reacted to Boseman’s death in a tweet on Friday saying: ‘Our hearts are broken and our thoughts are with Chadwick Boseman’s family’
He took on his first producing job in last year’s action thriller ’21 Bridges’ (pictured) in which he also starred
Boseman had not spoken publicly about his cancer diagnosis, but had sparked concerns over health earlier this year after fans took note of his unusually thin appearance (pictured left in April, and right in May)
Black Panther went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of the year and was nominated for six Oscars. Above the cast is seen accepting the award for Best Cast In A Motion Picture during the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2019
But his most memorable role was his 2018 performance as T’Challa, king of the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda and the crime fighter known as Black Panther, in the first major studio superhero movie featuring a predominantly African-American cast.
The film went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of the year and was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture. It won three Academy Awards – in the best original score, best costume design and best production design categories.
Boseman originated the Black Panther film role two years earlier in Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, and reprised the part twice more in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
News of Boseman’s death came on the day that Major League Baseball was celebrating Jackie Robinson Day.
The holiday is usually observed on April 15, but the celebration was moved to August 28 to accommodate the COVID-19-altered schedule.
Avengers: Endgame co-star Brie Larson paid tribute to Boseman in a touching Instagram post remembering the star as someone ‘who radiated power and peace’
Many of Boseman’s co-stars in the Marvel movie franchises including Brie Larson, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Evans, paid tribute to the actor on social media on Friday
‘This is a crushing blow’ actor and director Jordan Peele said on Twitter, one of many expressing shock as the news spread across social media
Boseman had shared an Instagram post at the time saying he was celebrating with the launch of Operation 42, an initiative donating $4.2million in personal protective equipment to hospitals servicing African American communities at the peak of the pandemic.
‘Thank you, Jackie, for refusing to accept the world as it is, for showing us that we can make a difference,’ Boseman said.
The post, which included a video of the actor wearing a ’42’ baseball cap, had sparked concerns among fans who commented on his noticeably thin appearance.
Even at the outset of his Hollywood career, Boseman was clear-eyed about – and even skeptical of – the industry in which he would become an international star.
‘You don’t have the same exact experience as a Black actor as you do as a white actor. You don’t have the same opportunities. That’s evident and true,’ he told AP while promoting 42.
‘The best way to put it is: How often do you see a movie about a black hero who has a love story … he has a spirituality. He has an intellect. It’s weird to say it, but it doesn’t happen that often.’
He took on his first producing job in last year’s action thriller ’21 Bridges,’ in which he also starred, and was last seen on-screen in Spike Lee’s film Da 5 Bloods as the leader of a group of Black soldiers in the Vietnam War.
Boseman completed one last performance, in an adaptation of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The Netflix film, in which Boseman stars alongside Viola Davis, finished shooting last summer.
Following the shock news of his death, tributes to Boseman poured in from across the entertainment industry on social media.
Marvel Studios released a statement on his passing on Twitter saying: ‘Our hearts are broken and our thoughts are with Chadwick Boseman’s family. Your legacy will live on forever. Rest In Peace.’
‘This is a crushing blow’ actor and director Jordan Peele said on Twitter. ‘This broke me,’ said actor and writer Issa Rae.
‘Such a brutal loss. RIP, Chadwick,’ Ryan Reynolds tweeted.
Marvel co-star Chris Evans paid tribute to his friend in a poignant tweet saying: I’m absolutely devastated. This is beyond heartbreaking. Chadwick was special. A true original. He was a deeply committed and constantly curious artist.
‘He had so much amazing work still left to create. I’m endlessly grateful for our friendship. Rest in power, King.’
Marvel stars Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt and Brie Larson also paid tribute.
Don Cheadle also starred with Boseman in the Marvel films. Alongside a picture of them together, he posted ‘I will miss you, birthday brother. you were always light and love to me. my god … forever and ever …’
In his tribute, Marvel chief Kevin Feige, the mastermind behind the extraordinarily successful Marvel Cinematic Universe called Chadwick’s passing ‘absolutely devastating.’
‘He was our T’Challa, our Black Panther, and our dear friend. Each time he stepped on set, he radiated charisma and joy, and each time he appeared on screen, he created something truly indelible.
‘He embodied a lot of amazing people in his work, and nobody was better at bringing great men to life. He was as smart and kind and powerful and strong as any person he portrayed. Now he takes his place alongside them as an icon for the ages. The Marvel Studios family deeply mourns his loss, and we are grieving tonight with his family.’
