Chadwick Boseman dedicated his career to bringing some of the most important stories to life. The prolific actor died at age 43 on Aug. 28 after a four-year battle with colon cancer, leaving behind a legacy that includes influential film portrayals in 42, Marshall, and Get on Up, as well as TV roles on Lincoln Heights and Persons Unknown. He's widely known for inspiring many as King T'Challa in Marvel's Black Panther, which his family said "was the honour of his career" in a statement confirming his death. Take a look back at Boseman's most memorable works that cemented his place as a Hollywood great and cultural icon.
Lincoln Heights centres on police officer Eddie Sutton (Russell Hornsby) who moves his family to Los Angeles' crime-ridden Lincoln Heights neighbourhood in hopes of making a positive difference. In seasons three and four, Boseman plays Nathaniel "Nate" Ray, Eddie's son from a former romance. Nate was raised in the South and served in Iraq as part of the armed forces, which has caused him to struggle with PTSD.
This series follows the story of seven strangers who arrive in a forlorn town with no recollection of how they got there and no way of escape. The group is mysteriously surveyed as they form alliances and work together to survive. Boseman portrays Sergeant Graham McNair, a former soldier who served in the Iraq War and uses his skills to help fellow abductees in the strange, deserted settlement.
Boseman steps up to bat as Jackie Robinson — the first Black person to play in Major League Baseball — in this biographical sports film that earned the actor widespread acclaim.
This film details the drama that ensues when Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner), the general manager of the National Football League's Cleveland Browns, must choose which rising star athlete to draft. Boseman plays Vontae Mack, one of the sought after picks.
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5. Get on Up (2014)
Boseman transforms into the legendary James Brown in this biographical musical drama. The actor was so dedicated to the role, he spent two months learning how to sing and dance to wholly embody the Godfather of Soul.
Boseman brings to life the galvanizing story of Thurgood Marshall, a civil rights activist and the first Black justice to serve on the Supreme Court. The film focuses on Marshall's (Boseman) early career as a lawyer for the NAACP when teams up with Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) to represent Black chauffeur Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown), who is accused of sexual assault and attempted murder. Boseman's emotional performance won him a BET Award for best actor and an NAACP Image Award nomination for outstanding actor in a motion picture.
Marvel's Black Panther explores the African nation of Wakanda as T'Challa (Boseman) takes his place as king after the death of his father. One of Boseman's most culturally moving works, the film earned him several award wins, including a BET Award for best actor, a Black Reel award for outstanding actor, an NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture, two MTV Movie & TV awards for best performance in a movie and best hero, a People's Choice award for favourite male movie star, and a Screen Actors Guild award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture. Additionally, Boseman's performance helped Black Panther make history as the first superhero movie to ever be nominated in the best picture category at the Golden Globe Awards.
Boseman also dons the panther costume in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Boseman portrays Andre Davis, a NYPD detective who earns a reputation for taking down "cop-killers." In an unprecedented pursuit of two suspects — which involves shutting down all of Manhattan's 21 bridges — Andre begins to question who the criminals really are as he uncovers secrets within his own camp.
Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods tells the story of five Black Vietnam War veterans who return to the country in Southeast Asia to find the remains of their squad leader Stormin' Norman (Boseman) and a gold fortune that he helped them conceal before his death.