Viola Davis is nothing if not honest, whether on the screen or off. In a recent interview with The Times, the Academy Award-winning actress recalled her deep regret when she reflected on her time with the late Chadwick Boseman.
While shooting Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Davis observed Boseman’s unusual on-set routine. His girlfriend and makeup artist looked after him closely, giving him massages and playing soothing music for him. She admitted that Davis did not understand it at the time.
“There was a part of me that was a little judgmental, why do you need all that?” she confessed. “I had no idea that they were doing it because he was dying.”
Boseman, who sadly died in August 2020 at only 43 years old, had been in private battles with colon cancer. He was diagnosed in 2016 with stage three cancer, a disease that, later on, advanced to stage four, and he decided to keep his condition a secret from nearly everyone around him, including his co-stars.
Enduring surgeries and chemotherapy, he continued to give inspiring performances in films, including Marshall, Da 5 Bloods, and, most recently, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, his last role, for which he received a posthumous Academy Award nomination.
Davis, along with many of those who had worked closely with him, was stunned when news of his death emerged. In hindsight, she now sees the incredible strength he showed not just in what he did for a living but also in how he functioned daily.
Boseman became an international sensation for his role as King T’Challa in Black Panther, and Davis believes his legacy extends well beyond the Marvel movie.
“He wasn’t just a hero in Black Panther, he was a hero for being who he was,” she told The Guardian in 2020.
His genuineness, integrity, and immense commitment to the craft made a massive impression in the space. Davis highlighted that the impact of Boseman would live on for generations of actors, especially Black artists trying to create space for themselves in Hollywood.
It’s been a critical lesson in empathy for Davis. It reminds us that we never really know the full story of what someone is dealing with.
She regrets not only misjudging Boseman’s need for care but also that she couldn’t see couldn’t stand back and fully appreciate the profound strength he had to continue to fight, even when facing something so devastating.
Boseman died at his home in Los Angeles on Aug. 28, 2020, with his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, and family by his side. His final performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom not only brought him a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Male Actor but also celebrated his incredible talent and tireless work ethic.
As Davis embarks on her own path in Hollywood, she takes along Boseman’s legacy with her. He was an instigator of approaching life with kindness, understanding, and gratitude to those in our orbit. We will never forget his story, his spirit, and his impact.
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