Chadwick Boseman is still making a big impact in the movie industry — even after his death.
The Black Panther star died in August at age 43 after privately battling colon cancer for several years. On Thursday, November 12, the Independent Filmmaker Project announced the nominees for the 30th Annual IFP Gotham Awards — and Boseman was at the top of their list for Best Actor for his work in the upcoming Netflix film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Boseman was nominated alongside Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), Jude Law (The Nest), John Magaro (First Cow) and Jesse Plemons (I’m Thinking of Ending Things). The Gotham Awards are expected to take place in New York City in January 2021, one month after Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom hits Netflix.
The Get On Up actor’s death sent shockwaves through Hollywood earlier this year. Upon announcing that he had passed away, Boseman’s family praised the Marvel star’s strength and grace through his cancer battle.
“Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016 and battled with it these last four years as it progressed to stage IV,” his family wrote via Instagram in August. “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”
Boseman may have kept his own health scare under wraps, but he made a point of giving back to those in need throughout his time in the spotlight. In a 2018 SiriusXM interview, the South Carolina native struggled to hold back tears as he recalled an emotional meeting with young cancer patients who looked up to his superhero persona.
“It’s a humbling experience because you’re like, ‘This can’t mean that much to them,’ you know?” Boseman said at the time. “But seeing how the world has taken us on, seeing how the movement is, how it’s taken on a life of its own, I realized that they anticipated something great.”
The Avengers: End Game star wasn’t only a source of inspiration on screen, but he also worked hard to fight for equality behind-the-scenes. Reflecting on her experience working with the late actor on 21 Bridges, Sienna Miller revealed that she’ll never forget one powerful interaction.
“He produced 21 Bridges and had been really active in trying to get me to do it. He was a fan of my work, which was thrilling, because it was reciprocated from me to him, tenfold,” the 38-year-old actress told Empire magazine in September. “This was a pretty big budget film, and I know that everybody understands about the pay disparity in Hollywood, but I asked for a number that the studio wouldn’t get to. … And Chadwick ended up donating some of his salary to get me to the number that I had asked for. He said that that was what I deserved to be paid.”
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