‘Black Panther’ fans are still shaken up by the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. He died of colon cancer at age 43 and left behind him a true legacy. He was an actor, director, producer, and playwright who worked in both film and television.
Chadwick Boseman was born in South Carolina on November 29, 1977, and began his career in the entertainment industry in 2000. Boseman was best known for portraying real-life historical figures in films. These have included Thurgood Marshall in ‘Marshall’, James Brown in ‘Get on Up’, and Jackie Robinson in ‘42′. He was also known for playing T’Challa/ Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
Other films in which he appeared include ‘Message from the King’, ‘Gods of Egypt’, ‘Draft Day’, and ‘The Express’. Furthermore, he had many television roles. These included roles in ‘Lincoln Heights’ and ‘Persons Unknown’. Although he was a well-known actor, there are probably many things that people still do not know about him. Here are 20 interesting facts about Chadwick Boseman.
1. He Had West African Ancestry
Boseman was born in South Carolina in the United States, and his parents were both African American. When he started expressing interest in his origins, he decided to learn more about his ancestry so he took a DNA test. Not only did this test reveal that he had West African ancestry, but it also provided specific details of the ethnic groups in his ancestry. According to The Things, Boseman discovered that his ancestors were from the Mende and Limba people of Sierra Leone, the Jola people from Guinea-Bissau, and the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
2. He Came From a Huge Family
According to Men’s Variety, Chadwick Boseman was from a huge family. He once said in an interview that when his grandmother died, she left behind a whopping total of 115 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Boseman was very close to his immediate family and family was important to him. Everyone in his family was left heartbroken after his tragic and early death.
3. He Was Sporty at School
The Things says that Chadwick Boseman was sporty at school. While he was in high school, he was in Little League baseball. However, basketball was his greatest passion. Eventually, playing basketball overtook baseball. His experience of playing baseball probably helped when he portrayed baseball legend Jackie Robinson in ‘42′. He needed only a few months of training to successfully play a professional baseball player. Being sporty also helped when he played Ivan Reitman in the 2014 sports drama ‘Draft Day’.
4. Phylicia Rashad Helped Him Choose His Career
Credit: @phyliciarashad
Chadwick Boseman studied at Howard University, which is a Historically Black College/ University (HBCU), says the website Men’s Variety in their list of interesting facts about this actor. He intended to pursue a career as a director and graduated from Howard University with a bachelor’s degree in directing. However, he then took a course led by esteemed actress Phylicia Rashad, who is best known for playing Claire Huckstable in ‘The Cosby Show’. She influenced his decision to change career goals and become an actor.
5. Studied at Two Universities
After graduating from Harvard University, Boseman studied at the British American Dramatic Academy in Oxford, England. This extended his experience, skills, and knowledge in the entertainment industry.
6. He Was a Christian
Chadwick Boseman was raised a Christian and he kept his faith until he died. This has also been confirmed by his former pastor. When he was little, he actively participated in his church congregation and was a member of the church choir and the Christian youth group.
7. Howard University renamed a department after Chadwick Boseman
Thanks to Chadwick Boseman’s huge support and advocacy, Howard University’s College of Fine Arts was brought back from disintegration after more than 20 years. That’s why Howard University renamed it after Chadwick Boseman. Here’s what Howard’s President Wayne A.I. Frederick said about it in a statement
Chadwick’s love for Howard University was sincere, and although he did not live to see those plans through to fruition, it is my honor to ensure his legacy lives on through the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts with the support of his wife and the Chadwick Boseman Foundation. I’m also elated to have the support of The Walt Disney Company’s Executive Chairman Bob Iger, who has graciously volunteered to lead the fundraising effort to build a state-of-the art facility and endowment for the college.
8. Denzel Washington paid for his tuition in Oxford through Phylicia Rashad
Another interesting thing you probably didn’t know about Boseman is that Denzel Washington paid for his college tuition. When Phylicia Rashad asked Denzel Washington to help out and foot the bill for nine theatre students’ so they could continue their careers in acting, the actor happily agreed. Boseman even expressed his huge gratitude to Washington during his speech at the American Film Institute ceremony. He said, “There is no Black Panther without Denzel Washington. And not just because of me, but my whole cast, that generation stands on your shoulders.”
9. Boseman Worked as a Drama Instructor
Useless Daily says that Chadwick Boseman was the drama instructor for the Schomburg Junior Scholars program between 2002 and 2007. This program is housed in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. This center is located in Harlem, New York. Taking on this role allowed Boseman to pass on his skills and experience as an actor to the young actors of the future.
10. He Didn’t Audition for the Role of ‘Black Panther’
Credit: Black Panther
Boseman did not have to audition for the role of Black Panther, which he played in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, says IBT. The first of these films was ‘Captain America: Civil War’. Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth were among the actors who had to audition for their roles in this film, but the same did not apply to Boseman. Based on his performances in previous films, Boseman was offered the role over the phone by Marvel Universe President Kevin Feige. Of course, Boseman accepted and it is for this role that he is now best known.
11. Up Against 25 Actors for the Role of Jackie Robinson
When Boseman auditioned for the role of baseball player Jackie Robinson for the film ‘42′, there was stiff competition for the role. In fact, he auditioned against 25 other actors to play the baseball player. After two auditions, director Brian Helgeland decided to cast him in the role as he liked his bravery, says Tons of Facts. It was rumored that Robinson’s widow was initially unhappy with the casting and had hoped that Denzel Washington would play the role. However, she was happy with the final result of the film and became friends with Boseman later on.
12. He Was the Only Black God in ‘Gods of Egypt’
Chadwick Boseman was the only black actor playing a God in ‘Gods of Egypt’, notes Factinate. The film was widely criticized for whitewashing, which was a view with which Boseman agreed. The actor defended his decision to take on the role by saying that it meant there was at least one black actor in the film.
Some of the white actors playing gods included Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gerard Butler, Geoffrey Rush, and Bryan Brown. The upset over casting is possibly why this film was a commercial flop as it made only $150.7 million at the worldwide box office from a budget of $140 million. It all turned around when Boseman joined the Marvel universe as the lead in ‘Black Panther’, which was a film featuring predominantly black actors.
13. He Was Not a Fan of Comics Until ‘Black Panther’
Unlike many kids, Chadwick Boseman was not a fan of comics growing up. Therefore, it may seem strange that it was a character from a comic book that is now his most famous role. Boseman said that he prayed he would get the role of Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe months in advance of being cast in the role. Once he landed the role, he read as many comics as he could that related to Black Panther to learn more about the character and his backstory, says BoomsBeat.
14. Boseman Worked as a Playwright
Boseman’s talents extended beyond his performances in front of the camera, as he was also a talented playwright, says Useless Daily. He wrote the script for the play ‘Deep Azure’, which was performed at the Congo Square Theater Company in Chicago, Illinois. This play was nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for New Work in 2006.
15. He Wanted to Play Jimi Hendrix
Boseman was popular for his portrayal of real-life famous people in biographical films. He played Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, and James Brown. The person he dreamed of playing is Jimi Hendrix, says IMDb. Hendrix is someone Boseman considered interesting, talented, and inspirational. Unfortunately, his wish never came true.
16. Boseman was Given a Xhosa Name
Boseman’s full birth name is Chadwick Aaron Boseman. However, he was also given a Xhosa name. He visited Cape Town in South Africa to do research about his role as Black Panther. While he was there, a street musician gave him the Xhosa name ‘Mxolisi’. This name means ‘Peacemaker’, says Factinate. During his time in South Africa, Boseman also learned how to speak a little Xhosa.
17. He Was an Award-Winning Actor
Chadwick Boseman was nominated for multiple awards throughout his career. His first nomination was in 2016 for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in a film. This was for his portrayal of T’Challa/ Black Panther in ‘Captain America: Civil War’. Unfortunately, he was not an award winner on that occasion. For his portrayal of the same character in the 2018 film ‘Black Panther’, Chadwick Boseman was nominated for seven awards, of which he won four. He won two MTV Awards, one for Best Actor in a Movie and the second award for Best Hero. He also won the People’s Choice Male Movie Star of 2018 and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
18. Boseman Was Trained in Martial Arts
It is a lesser-known fact that Chadwick Boseman was trained in martial arts, says BoomsBeat. This came in handy for his role as Black Panther and he was well prepared for the action scenes. However, he and other cast members had to attend a boot camp to fully prepare them for the physical aspects of their roles. The stunts in ‘Black Panther’ were predominantly performed by Boseman and the cast members rather than by stunt professionals.
19. ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Was His Last Film
‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ was the last project Boseman did while fighting a silent battle with cancer. He played alongside Viola Davis, Taylour Paige, Colman Domingo, and Glynn Turman.
20. He Had a Personal Net Worth of $8 million
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Boseman had a personal net worth of $8 million. He accrued this wealth through his acting career in both television and film, but mostly because of the immense global success of Black Panther.
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