'Black Panther' star dead at 43 the world mourns Chadwick Boseman

The news broke on Friday evening, (August29) that Black Panther star Chadwick Aaron Boseman died of colon cancer. The 43 year old actor passed away at his home with his wife (Taylor Simone Ledward) and family by his side. It is being reported that he battled cancer for 4 years before succumbing to it. The actor kept his diagnosis to himself so this is a shock to his fans. Boswick was born to Leroy and Carolyn Boseman in Anderson South Carolina on November 29, 1976. He graduated from Howard University in 2000 with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in directing. One of his instructors was Phylicia Rashaad (The Cosby Show) who also became a mentor.

Boseman portrayed Jackie Robinson in the film "42" in 2013 and died on the same day that Major League Baseball was honoring Robinson. The actor also portrayed James Brown in Get on Up, (2014) and Thurgood Marshall in Marhsall, (2017). The character T'Challa was first introduced in 2016's blockbuster Marvel movie, Captain America: Civil War. After the release of Black Panther in 2018 Boseman's "Wakanda forever" salute became popular around the world. He reprised the role of T'Challa in Avengers: Infinity War in 2018 and Avengers: Endgame, in 2019. Both movies had the distinction of being the highest grossing film of the year they were released. Endgame went on to be listed as the highest-grossing film of all time.

The actor also starred in 21 Bridges, in 2019 which was an American action thriller. Boseman was an NYPD detective who shut down the eponymous 21 bridges of Manhattan so he could find two suspected cop killers. On the small screen, Chadwick Boseman had numerous roles including ER, Lincolne Heights, Third Watch, Persons Unknown, and the made for television movie The Express: The Ernie Davis Story.

Among those expressing their grief are the actor and director Jordan Peele who said on Twitter that this was a "crushing blow" for him. As the news spread across social media there has been a wave of disbelief, Actor and writer Issa Rae said the news had broken him. Actor William deVry of General Hospital tweeted his surprise.

Chadwick Boseman was not without controversy during his rise to fame. A number of people found his Rolling Stone cover and the accompanying story calling him a "savior" to be offensive. Others took issue with his only showing one eye and saying it was a sign that he was involved in the secret society for the rich and famous, the Illuminati.

According to Wikepedia, Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2016 and it progressed to stage 4 in 2020. The actor underwent multiple surgeries as well as chemotherapy. He continued working and has several projects that are yet to debut. These include Da 5 Bloods, Marshal, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. An increasing number of celebrities have been paying their respects to the actor on social media. Among them are Ice Cube, Tinashe, Jordan Peele, Don Cheadle, Simi Liu and Chris Pratt. Chadwick Boseman has been quoted as saying that it was an honor to bring T'Challa to life in Black Panther.

Black Panther quickly became a role model for children of color who were excited to see a super hero who looked like them on the big screen. The movie has to date grossed 1.23 billion dollars worldwide. Boseman's bio says he was a Christian and sang in the choir as a child. His pastor said that he continued in his faith in later years. He wrote his first play "Crossroads" in 1995, during his junior year in T L Hanna high school after a classmate was shot and killed. The play was later performed at the school. Boseman also perforfmed in a number of stage productions, including Romeo and Juliet, Willie's Cut, Bootleg Blues, Breathe, Shine, and Zooman.

In 2002 the actor won an AUDELCO award for his role as teenager E.J. in Urban Transitions: Loose Blossoms. He was also a part of the Hip Hop Theatre Festival and has written the plays Deep Azure, Rhyme Deferred and Hieroglyphic Graffiti. He also directed stage productions and short films. Chadwick Boseman accomplished a lifetime of achievements during his 43 years on the earth and has left a legacy that will be lasting.