On Friday, it is announced on his Twitter and Facebook accounts that actor Chadwick Boseman had passed away at 43 years old after bravely fighting colon cancer for four years. From the statement, it is revealed that the actor passed away in his home with his wife and family by his side.
For those who do not know who is Chadwick Boseman, he is well-known for his character as T'Challa in the Marvel blockbuster movie "Black Panther". Here are 10 interesting facts about the actor that little know about.
#1 He is of West African descent.
Although Boseman was born in South Carolina, he learnt about his ancestry when he decided to take a DNA test. The test not only showed he has West African ancestry but also revealed that he belonged to specific ethnic groups. According to sources, his ancestors were from the Limba and Mende people of Sierra Leone, the Yoruba people of Nigeria, and the Jola people from Guinea-Bissau.
#2 He likes his privacy.
Despite being an actor since the early 2000s, little is known about Chadwick Boseman. This is because he is a reserved man who does not like to reveal his personal life to the public. And we all respect him for that.
According to TheThings, "It's no one's business, really," says Boseman. "When you talk about that, you become a whole different type of celebrity. Your personal life bleeds into your professional life. I'm an actor, and you know me from who I play. You get a sense of who I am, but you don't know everything."
Photo source: Sky News
#3 He has a big family.
In an interview, the actor mentioned that he is from a very big family. "When my grandmother died, she left 115 grandkids and great-grandkids. That was just one side,' he says.
Photo source: borg
#4 He was athletic in school.
Even though he keeps his personal life in private, Chadwick Boseman still shares some bits now and then. According to Vanity Fair and MensVaritey, Boseman, like many high school boys his age, was an athlete who played baseball and basketball.
"I played Little League baseball, but I also played basketball," the actor shared during an interview with Vanity Fair. "Basketball was my primary sport. When you play basketball seriously, a lot of times, through the summer season, you continue playing. So that replaced me playing baseball. But I’ve always been an athlete and continued to do additional athletic activities."
Photo source: CNBC
#5 He has a Bachelors in Directing.
Before proceeding an acting career, Boseman initially wanted to be a writer and director instead. He decided to take acting courses only to better understand the actors.
“I really only started acting because I wanted to know what the actors were doing, how to communicate with the actors," he said according to The Washington Post.
Photo source: TheIndianExpress
#6 He actually studied in two universities.
According to resources, Chadwick Boseman attended Howard University in Washington D.C. and the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England. It is also confirmed by the actor himself in an interview.
"And then I realized I’m supposed to do all of it. I studied. I studied at Howard. I studied at Oxford," Boseman said as reported by The Washington Post.
Photo source: CoS
#7 He was not a fan of comics.
Growing up, Chadwick Boseman was unlike other kids who loved to read comic books. Thus it may seem funny that a comic book character is now his most well-known role.
But in reality, although he is not a big fan of comics, he claimed that he prayed to be Black Panther before he was cast as the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is reported that after being cast in Captain America: Civil War as the Black Panther, the actor read as many comics as possible to learn more about his character role and backstory, according to BoomsBeat.
#8 He did not have to audition for Black Panther.
Before accepting the role as the Black Panther, Boseman's acting career was relatively successful. Looking at his previous performances in "Get On Up" and "42", the actor was offered the role over the phone by Marvel Universe President Kevin Feige.
“I think it was 24 hours between saying his name in a creative story meeting and talking to his agent and getting on a phone with him and offering him the role of Black Panther, which he accepted,” Feige shared to Variety, according to International Business Times.
Photo source: E!News
#9 He trained in martial arts.
Nobody suddenly looks like a superhero overnight, and Chadwick Boseman was no exception. To get into shape for the role of Black Panther, the actor had to train hard. He reportedly trained fives days per week with each training lasting about an hour, as reported by TheThings.
He also studied various martial arts including Muay Thai, Capoeira and Filipino martial arts. The trainer working with the actor decided that is was necessary to teach Boseman to fight in different ways because T'Challa was supposed to be a master of many, who could adapt to practically any kind of fight, reported the Men's Journal.
#10 He is proud to play T'Challa, King of Wakanda.
As the very first stand-alone black superhero of Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chadwick Boseman was extremely proud to portray the Black Panther, according to TheThings.
Growing up in South Carolina, the actor is no stranger to seeing discrimination. After overcoming those obstacles and landing the role of the T'Challa, Boseman realises the importance of this character to the community. He was also glad to be a part of the first superhero movie with a predominantly black cast.
