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.
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Join MemoriesMary Carr Chadwick Aaron Boseman was born on November 29, 1976, in South Carolina.
Mary Carr 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.
Mary Carr 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.
Mary Carr 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.”
Mary Carr He went on to play Reggie Montgomery in “All My Children.” He also starred in episodes of “Law & Order,” “CSI: NY,” and “ER.”
Mary Carr Chadwick Boseman’s television work also included a recurring role in “Lincoln Heights” and “Persons Unknown.”
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Mary Carr His first feature film was “The Express: The Ernie Davis Story” in 2008.
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Mary Carr 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.
Mary Carr Chad as James Brown
Mary Carr Chad Bowman with "Draft Day" co-star, Kevin Costner
Mary Carr 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.”
Mary Carr 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.
Mary Carr Chadwick Boseman also starred as the Egyptian deity Thoth in “Gods of Egypt” in 2016.
Mary Carr In 2017, Chadwick Boseman starred as Thurgood Marshall in the film Marshall. Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.
Mary Carr “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
Mary Carr 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.
Mary Carr The role brought him fame across the globe and he became a well-known name in Marvel comics.
Mary Carr Source: https://youtu.be/xjDjIWPwcPU
Mary Carr 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.
Mary Carr He also starred in the 2019 action thriller film, “21 Bridges” directed by Brian Kirk.
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Mary Carr Chadwick Boseman also starred in director Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” which was released on Netflix on June 12, 2020.
Mary Carr His most recent work, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” is already in post-production and will be released posthumously.
Mary Carr 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.
Mary Carr 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."