Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, more mourn Chadwick Boseman in private memorial
Chadwick Boseman, 'Black Panther' and '42' star, dies of cancer at 43
Chadwick Boseman, the charismatic actor known for portraying barrier-breaking baseball player Jackie Robinson, music icon James Brown, and Marvel superhero T'Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther, has died of complications from colon cancer. He was 43.
Nearly a week after the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, friends and family celebrated his life at a private memorial in Malibu.
Boseman's widow Taylor Simone Ledward was photographed at the memorial, as were his Black Panther costars Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, and Winston Duke. Flowers and photos of the actor, who died on Aug. 28 after a long battle with colon cancer, decorated the venue.
Boseman was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, a diagnosis he mostly kept secret. Throughout his four year battle, the South Carolina native completed work on 10 films while quietly taking breaks for surgeries, chemotherapy, and trading letters with terminally ill children, who also had cancer.
Throughout his illustrious career, he portrayed legendary Black figures including Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, Jackie Robinson in 42, and James Brown in Get On Up.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
His final project is Netflix's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom based on August Wilson's acclaimed 1982 play of the same name, which tells the story of four musicians in 1920s Chicago waiting for blues legends Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) to record new music. Boseman portrays Levee, a young trumpet player with dreams of his big moment in the spotlight. The drama tackles issues of race, relationships, and the exploitation of Black recording artists of the era.
The musical drama has no release date confirmed.
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