More Than an Actor
Chadwick Boseman Excelled Well Beyond Screen and Stage
By James Estepp, Jr.
James Estepp, Jr. is a playwright, actor and sports enthusiast.
Most actors play fictional characters, taking them from the page to the screen, introducing us to the vision of the creative team behind a project.
James Estepp, Jr.
Some actors accept a greater challenge, that of pulling back the curtain on someone we already thought we knew, introducing generations to come to icons whose impacts will last forever. Chadwick Boseman was that kind of actor, and his breakthrough role was one that would define an all-too-brief career where no star burned brighter or told more tales of some of history’s most important figures.
His take on Jackie Robinson, in 42, embodied everything that Jackie Robinson was, a trailblazer, an amazing athlete, and a man who endured hate that too many were forced to endure, all with a quiet dignity that showed an inner strength most of us could only dream of.
Boseman displayed all those characteristics while bringing us the human being behind the ballplayer and groundbreaker.
One legend wasn’t enough, though, as just a year later, he brilliantly portrayed the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, in Get On Up. That he managed the dazzling array of moves, along with the capturing the complexities of the man, further exemplified why he was once again the right actor for the role.
It wasn’t enough to embody real-life icons, though, as his next role brought the world to Wakanda, as he introduced a planetary audience to T’Challa / Black Panther in Captain America/Civil War, and, two years later, in Black Panther, one of the biggest blockbusters in history, grossing more than $1.3 billion worldwide, shattering both records and stereotypes.
He filmed the latter of those two pictures, and two more Avengers superhero excursions, with Stage 3 colon cancer, a fact he had not made public.
Marshall, his last biopic, honored another historic figure, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, covering his early career, as he defended those wrongly accused based solely on the color of their skin.
He was called home on August 28, on Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball. As the nation faces a long-overdue stage for significant discussions on race and equity, we are reminded of the brilliance of a performer taken far too soon, whose works should open eyes on both the horrors of racism and the perseverance of those who have risen above it to inspire so many. He will be missed but never forgotten.
