Chadwick Boseman, 43, was suffering from colon cancer and he found out in 2016, just when his career started taking off.
One of the hardest things a person can do in their life is to battle cancer. Some share their journey with the world while others keep it personal. However, it rarely happens that a celebrity, who is battling the disease, can keep it to themselves. Some might fear that when the news does come out, the story would go out of their control. Other celebrities might do so to inspire others going through the same battle.
In recent times, one of the most shocking deaths in Hollywood was of the Marvel actor Chadwick Boseman, who was only 43 when he passed away. Boseman was beloved for his role as T'Challa in Black Panther, which became an iconic film. He was Chadwick for the world but for his brothers, Derrick and Kevin, he was Chad.
Derrick, 54, a pastor, revealed his final conversation with his brother to the New York Times (NYTimes). "'Man, I'm in the fourth quarter, and I need you to get me out of the game,'" Derrick recalled Boseman saying. He asked his actor brother what he meant but realized that he was tired and ready to go. "When he told me that, I changed my prayer from, 'God heal him, God save him,' to 'God, let your will be done,'" the pastor explained to the newspaper. "And the next day he passed away."
The Da 5 Bloods actor was buried near his South Carolina hometown, where he and his brothers grew up. Boseman was suffering from colon cancer since 2016 and passed away in August 2020. Only his close friends and family knew about his disease, and his death left even some of his Marvel co-stars shocked. The 43-year-old died at home in Los Angels surrounded by family, his rep said, as per PageSix.
Derrick remembers his youngest brother as a talented person from a young age. "Chad was gifted," he said. "He’s probably the most gifted person I’ve ever met," according to the NYTimes.
His brother, Kevin, 48, has been trying to keep his brother's memories alive. "I have been trying to remember Chad and not Chadwick," Kevin said. "And there’s just been a lot of Chadwick in the air."
Kevin also added that since his brother became a celebrity, he had to start sharing him with the world. "I always endeavored to just treat him like my brother," he added. Meanwhile, Derrick believes that his brother is an inspiration to their hometown. "Him being born there is an inspiration that you can come from there and become anything," said he.
Kevin, who is a successful dancer, writer, and actor, paved the way for Boseman as their parents weren't supportive initially. "It wasn’t something that my family understood," Boseman told an interviewer from The NY Times in 2019. However, when Kevin moved to New York and worked with the Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey troupes, his younger brother was inspired.
Boseman moved to New York and stayed with his brother in his apartment in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Their father had doubts about whether he would ever get a big break in show business. "A lot of people think making it means becoming an A-list movie star," Kevin said. "I didn’t force that. I just knew that if Chad wanted to work in the arts, he would find a way and take care of himself."
He added that their father would tell them to do their best when they were kids, and Boseman took it to heart. "He always did his best," Kevin said. "His best was incredible."
Boseman is survived by his wife, Simone Ledward, who has been granted the authority to administer his estate, according to a court order obtained by People. The 21 Bridges actor died without a will and his estate of $938,500 will have to be distributed. Ledward and he got married sometime before he died but it was never publicly announced.
References:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/movies/chadwick-boseman-south-carolina-anderson.html
https://pagesix.com/2020/10/05/chadwick-bosemans-brother-recalls-final-conversation-with-late-actor/
