Boseman
has battled colon cancer since 2016 and died at
home
Actor
Chadwick Boseman, who brought the movie "Black
Panther" to life with his charismatic
intensity and regal performance, has died.
Boseman
has battled colon cancer since 2016 and died at
home with his family and wife by his side,
according to a statement posted on his Twitter
account. He was 43.
"A
true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all,
and brought you so many of the films you have come
to love so much," the statement said.
"From
Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson's Ma
Rainey's Black Bottom and several more, all were
filmed during and between countless surgeries and
chemotherapy."
With
his role as King T'Challa in the boundary-breaking
film "Black Panther," he became a global
icon and an inspiring symbol of Black power. That
role was the "honor of (Boseman's) career,"
the statement said.
He
graduated from Howard University
A
South Carolina native, Boseman graduated in 2000
from Howard University, a historically Black
college in Washington, DC. While there, he also
attended the British American Drama Academy at
Oxford in 1998.
"It
is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of
alumnus Chadwick Boseman who passed away this
evening. His incredible talent will forever be
immortalized through his characters and through
his own personal journey from student to superhero!
Rest in Power, Chadwick!" University
President Wayne A. I. Frederick said in a
statement.
Boseman's
breakout performance came in 2013 when he played
Jackie Robinson in the film "42."
Boseman's passing was announced the day Major
League Baseball honored Jackie Robinson Day, an
annual commemoration delayed by several months due
to the pandemic.
"His
transcendent performance in '42' will stand the
test of time and serve as a powerful vehicle to
tell Jackie's story to audiences for generations
to come," Major League Baseball tweeted
Friday about the actor.
Boseman
made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in 2016
as T'Challa/Black Panther in "Captain
America: Civil War. Black Panther then got his own
stand-alone movie that released in 2018, which
broke box office records. Marvel Studios president
had previously announced the second movie of the
"Black Panther" saga would debut in
theaters in May 2022.
The
actor starred in other films, including playing
James Brown in "Get On Up" and Thurgood
Marshall in "Marshall."
