‘Late Chadwick Boseman Hid his Illness from Us’
Marvel Studios‘ Black Panther director, Ryan Coogler has spoken on the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, the late phenomenal actor.
Eelive.ng had reported the passing away of the actor, who died of colon cancer after a four-year battle with the decease.
Amongst other revelations made about Boseman, Coogler disclosed that he had no idea of the actor’s battle with the terminal illness all the while he was working with him to create magic.
In a statement published on Marvel Studios’ website, the director described Boseman as an Epic firework display while narrating how they met.
He recounted how Boseman learned the “Xhosa” native language right on set and how he was the brain behind the African accent which was not part of the original plan.
His words: “I learned later that there was much conversation over how T’Challa would sound in the film. The decision to have Xhosa be the official language of Wakanda was solidified by Boseman, a native of South Carolina, because he was able to learn his lines in Xhosa, there on the spot. He also advocated for his character to speak with an African accent so that he could present T’Challa to audiences as an African king, whose dialect had not been conquered by the West.”
Speaking on Boseman’s personality, Coogler described the actor as an “anomaly”.
“I noticed then that Boseman was an anomaly. He was calm. Assured. Constantly studying. But also kind, comforting, had the warmest laugh in the world, and eyes that see much beyond his years, but could still sparkle like a child seeing something for the first time,” he wrote.
Coogler sure knew Boseman! In his statement, he touches almost all aspects of Boseman’s life that any fan would want to know; he however maintains that the actor valued his privacy more than anything else, which explains why he (Coogler) knew nothing about the illness.
“Boseman deeply valued his privacy, and I wasn’t privy to the details of his illness. After his family released their statement, I realized that he was living with his illness the entire time I knew him. Because he was a caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity and pride, he shielded his collaborators from his suffering,” he wrote.
Explaining the deceased’s level of humility, Coogler said Boseman would audition for supporting roles, which was very uncommon among lead actors in the industry.
“He would come to auditions for supporting roles, which is not common for lead actors in big-budget movies. He was there for several M’Baku auditions. In Winston Duke’s, he turned chemistry read into a wrestling match. Winston broke his bracelet. In Letitia Wright’s audition for Shuri, she pierced his royal poise with her signature humor, and would bring about a smile to T’Challa’s face that was 100% Boseman.”
Written by Praise Shogbade
