The world is still processing the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman. The Black Panther star
passed away at 43 from colon cancer, which he had secretly battled for years.
When the news broke on Aug. 28, 2020, fans responded with shock and grief, completely
unaware that Boseman had been so sick for so long, while filming many different projects,
including Black Panther, Avengers: Endgame, and Da 5 Bloods.
Even some of Boseman's closest co-stars and collaborators knew nothing about his diagnosis.
Some fans did notice a few changes, like his substantial weight loss, but most attributed
it to the typical kind of body transformations actors undergo for roles. Even the legendary
Spike Lee, director of 2020's Da 5 Bloods, confirmed on Instagram that "Nobody knew"
about his illness on set.
Boseman was not just an actor, but a role model who inspired on and off the screen.
Black Panther was lauded not simply as one of the strongest entries in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe, but as a major breakthrough in terms of representation in cinema, proving that
movies centering on Black stories could perform at the box office.
"My son's childhood has been defined by Barack Obama and now Black Panther, so thank you."
"Hey, that's way too much praise."
As T'Challa, Boseman was the face of that notion, and his loss will surely be felt for
a very long time. Although Boseman fought cancer privately, he also spent his time volunteering
with children with cancer, working with charities like the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Boseman's work with Make-A-Wish was on his mind until the end of his life, according
to Black Panther executive producer Nate Moore. In September 2020, Moore revealed to People
that the last conversation he had with Boseman, via text, was regarding gifts the actor wanted
to give to a child battling cancer. Moore recalled that it was more difficult than usual
due to stay-at-home orders, saying
"It was during lockdown, and we worked together to get a young boy a voice note from T'Challa,
as well as a package of toys...Chad figured out how to make it work because he cared so
intently, and in hindsight, so personally."
Moore and Boseman were able to make the delivery, and Boseman followed up with what would be
the last text between the two. Boseman wrote,
"It broke me, man. But we need to do that for them. People deserve abundant life, special
moments...They've been through hell battling that disease. If we were able to ease their
suffering and bring joy for a moment, and hopefully moments [as] he goes through the
bags, then we made a difference in his life."
While it could be easy to read Boseman's interest in the situation as a reflection of his own
illness, Moore doesn't think that was the case, saying:
"I think that's just who he was as a man. A leader and caregiver first, who accomplished
both of those things as a performer and as a regular person."
The Make-A-Wish Foundation wasn't the only charity to benefit from Chadwick Boseman's
generosity. St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital shared an Instagram photo following
the actor's death, sharing a story of his visit to their hospital in 2018. The caption
read:
"Two years ago, Chadwick visited the St. Jude campus and brought with him not only toys
for our patients but also joy, courage, and inspiration. He was an incredible role model
for our patients and for children from all around the world."
While promoting Black Panther, Boseman shared how important that type of work and giving
back was to him, sharing a story of two terminally ill children that he communicated with during
the production of the movie.
"What they said to me and what their parents said, they just, they're trying to hold on
'til this movie comes."
Boseman said their anticipation humbled him and pushed him to work harder because those
children, who passed away before the movie was released, quote, "anticipated something
great." As he choked up, co-stars Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira reached out to him.
"Yeah. It...it means a lot."
Though Boseman's diagnosis wasn't the reason for his charity work, it undoubtedly gave
him an additional window into the suffering of others, making him better able to understand
what they were living with because he was living it too. As he told People in 2017,
"I definitely value the fact that I can change people's lives on a given day."
Not only could he change lives, but he did change lives.