Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman unexpectedly died on Friday.
A statement posted to Boseman’s Twitter said, “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you so many of the films you have come to love so much... From Marshall toDa 5 Bloods, August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.”
The 43-year-old was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2016 and, despite extensive treatment, it still advanced to Stage 4. He passed away at home, with his wife,Taylor Simone Ledward, and family by his side.
In addition to being an accomplished actor, he was a Howard University graduate who also attended the British American Drama Academy at Oxford. While it was his iconic role as King T’Challa that brought him the most fame recently, it was actually his portrayal of Jackie Robinson in the baseball drama 42 that put him on the map back in 2013. Besides superheroes and sports stars, he also played as James Brown and Thurgood Marshall over the years. The immediate outpouring of love and support on social media in the hours since the news unexpectedly broke reaffirm just how respected Boseman was by both his fellow actors and many fans.
Boseman's team kept the diagnosis a secret for years.