This Timeline celebrates the life and work of Chadwick Boseman who played icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown, before finding fame as the Black Panther in Marvel cinematic universe.
Memories Editor Chadwick Aaron Boseman was born on November 29, 1976, in South Carolina.
Memories Editor He started his career as a drama instructor in the Schomburg Junior Scholars Program at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York.
Memories Editor Chadwick Boseman graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in directing from Howard University in Washington, DC in 2000. He also attended an Oxford Mid-Summer Program of the British American Drama Academy in London and graduated from the Digital Film Academy in New York.
Memories Editor Chadwick Boseman’s acting career did not start until 2003, when he was already 27 years old. He guest-starred in an episode of the “Third Watch.”
Memories Editor He went on to play Reggie Montgomery in “All My Children.” He also starred in episodes of “Law & Order,” “CSI: NY,” and “ER.”
Memories Editor Chadwick Boseman’s television work also included a recurring role in “Lincoln Heights” and “Persons Unknown.”
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Memories Editor His first feature film was “The Express: The Ernie Davis Story” in 2008.
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Memories Editor His first starring role didn’t happen until he was already 37 years old in 2013. He played baseball star Jackie Robinson in the film “42.” Chadwick Boseman was already considering giving up on acting and to focus on directing full-time when he got this role.
Memories Editor Chad as James Brown
Memories Editor Chad Bowman with "Draft Day" co-star, Kevin Costner
Memories Editor In 2014, Chadwick Boseman appeared in the film “Draft Day,” which starred Kevin Costner. In the same year, he went to star as James Brown in the movie “Get on Up.”
Memories Editor He first appeared in his iconic role as T’Challa or Black Panther in “Captain America: Civil War” in 2016. This was the first of his five-picture deal with Marvel Studios. Black Panther was the first black superhero in American comics and Chadwick Boseman was the first choice of actors to play the role.
Memories Editor Chadwick Boseman also starred as the Egyptian deity Thoth in “Gods of Egypt” in 2016.
Memories Editor In 2017, Chadwick Boseman starred as Thurgood Marshall in the film Marshall. Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.
Memories Editor “It’s his purpose as a king. This is how he’s going to rule. T’Challa is basically saying, ‘We have a responsibility to the world to be a beacon of light.'” - Chadwick Boseman
Memories Editor The stand-alone “Black Panther” movie came out in 2018. It was a highly anticipated film in the Marvel cinematic universe. It focused on Chadwick Boseman’s character and was set in Wakanda in Africa.
Memories Editor The role brought him fame across the globe and he became a well-known name in Marvel comics.
Memories Editor Source: https://youtu.be/xjDjIWPwcPU
Memories Editor Chadwick Boseman played the role of Black Panther in two other movies, “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”. These movies were released in 2018 and 2019.
Memories Editor He also starred in the 2019 action thriller film, “21 Bridges” directed by Brian Kirk.
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Memories Editor Chadwick Boseman also starred in director Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” which was released on Netflix on June 12, 2020.
Memories Editor His most recent work, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” is already in post-production and will be released posthumously.
Memories Editor Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2016, the same year that he starred as Black Panther. He went through several surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy whilst continuing to work and film He died at home surrounded by family.
Memories Editor Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige says of Chadwick Boseman: "Each time he stepped on set, he radiated charisma and joy, and each time he appeared on screen, he created something truly indelible...He was as smart and kind and powerful and strong as any person he portrayed. Now he takes his place alongside them as an icon for the ages."