Chadwick Boseman Tribute (WAKANDA FOREVER

take a step with this Mark and when you're ready go ahead and tell Chadwick what he and the movie mean to you. uh, Darren, here I just want to say thank you so much for making Black Panther. I can't express how much it means. I, the community and my family thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done to truly be a hero that we really need in a time like this. Thank you very much Darren. I think something's wrong with your microphone I can't tell you how much it means that you took on the role of our King and held it with such grace and poise and joy, um, that was great, let's move on here, let's take a close-up of that, well , for me as a mother of our little son my son's childhood has been defined by Barack Obama and now by Black Panther, so thank you, hey, that's too much praise for Barack Obama, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. no, no, no, you're beautiful, wow, what a surprise, it's all been very personal, just watching the kids experience it and for me, I would say, you know, it's two, two little kids, Ian and Taylor, who, um. recently what they told me happened and their parents said they're just trying to hold on until this movie comes and to some extent you hear them say that and you're like, wow, that's like I gotta get up and I gotta get up and go to the gym.

I have to get up and go to work. You know, I have to learn these lines. I have to work on this accent. You know, seeing how devoted all my castmates are and knowing that, that, that. It will be something meaningful to them, but to some extent it is a humbling experience because that's who you are, it can't mean much to them, you know, but to see how the world has accepted us, to see what the movement is like, how it's being taken. in a life of my own I realized that they were anticipating something great and um and I think of a child and you know uh waiting for Christmas to come waiting for my birthday to come I'm waiting for a toy that I was going to have the opportunity to experience or a video game .

I lived a life waiting for those moments and so what made me go back to when I was a child just to experience those two little boys? Um anticipation for this movie and when I found out I have them, it's very hard to confirm, take your time when everyone thinks you're perfect, yeah it means a lot, just fight a little harder my friend, it's all worth it in the end, but when You don't have anyone to hang out with. turn to just wait and I'll find you I'll find you I'll find you just wait and I'll find you I'm hanging by your thread and the only thing I'm holding on to is my worthwhile friend In the end, but when you have no one to turn to for hold on and I will find, you will fight a little more my friend, in the end it is all worth it, but when you have no one to turn to to hold on and I will find you I will find you I will find you you will find me and the pain hates I say that the pain strengthens and the Fear drives faith and I don't know all the results I don't know what will happen tomorrow but when that ocean of doubt comes Don't let me drown in my grief and don't let me stay at the bottom I feel like this hole is too deep to climb I've been searching a way out but I settle for a peace of mind picking up the pieces of my life and hoping I can put something together right, tell me that everything I have is everything I need, tell me, will you help me stay in the fight with My Soul, I'm just trying to find where to go, I'm trying to remember the I'll be there for you, no matter where you go, you'll never be alone.

We begin tonight with the sudden and very tragic death that shocked the entire country. Actor Chadwick Boseman died at the age of 43 after a four-year private relationship. battle with colon cancer Bozeman inspired millions with his roles, making seven films while quietly undergoing surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. He is perhaps best known for his role as Bake here in Black Panther, a defining moment for African-American filmmakers and audiences alike. Bozeman also plays black icons. like Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Thurgood Marshall, his passing occurred on the same day that Major League Baseball honored the real Jackie Robinson Chadwick Boseman, his widow agreed on his behalf, would say something beautiful, something that would amplify that little voice inside all of us what he tells us. you can, that tells you to keep going.

I don't have his words, but we have to take every moment to celebrate those we love, so thank you, what did it mean to you as a friend? He is a special person, he is tragic. loss, you know, for all of us, you know, for me, our community, we're still dealing with it, I think we're still processing, you know, his legacy that he left behind, the impact that he's had on so many people, you know, around the world. . he knows his family, he lives

forever

, he has a great honor and a privilege too to be able to remember and have that memory of every morning sitting next to him in the makeup trailer while he teases, you know, while he gets ready, sometimes in is actually in a Call someone in South Africa to understand the correct accent or if you know some information that I needed just to invest in the character, whether we see that the audience would see that or not, something that he knew and maintained and then in our premiere.

It was one of the most phenomenal nights of my life. I remember leaving about to leave and glorious great music, great people, great enthusiasm, uh, just a total rush and I headed straight over to give them a hug and say, you know, good night. and he whispered to me that he was the student that was assigned to me when I received my honorary doctorate at Howard University, which was this alma mater at the time and um and I couldn't believe that he had had that information here this whole time we were there. We had worked together, but it was wonderful because you know people say I want to work with you from time to time and you say yeah, that would be great.

I'm looking forward to it, but it's actually kind of weird there, uh, and we. premiered the first Black Panther footage one and uh and sitting next to me, just to my left, was R t'challa uh, the late great Chadwick Bolton and the cash, including Chad, they hadn't seen the footage yet, so I we reproduce. you know he was, he was right next to me, he was excited and he grabbed my left shoulder with his hand and if you ever watched a Persian talk, he had these huge hands, they were just gigantic, it was part of the reason he threw the Panthers They shoot really well and um, he was really really loud and he was getting excited as the clip got longer and longer, I just pressed him against my shoulder the whole time and when it rang, he was like, oh. man, I was amazing, congratulations and I couldn't even lift my arm, you know, like you know, and I felt his hand the rest of that day for a few hours, you know what I mean and I'm standing here with all of you right now listening. with that music from those artists and thinking about all that I promise you I can feel his hand on me right now um chat chat is Chad is no longer with us physically but uh his spirit his passion is great his pride and his culture and the impact Lo What he did in this industry will be felt

forever

, feeling how much you missed, how much you miss your friend tonight.

I miss him so much, you know, I've been meditating, you know, I really had to face the fact. that we were going to move forward with Black Panther without him and every day on set we had to deal with that and find, find, Hope, find a reason to do it and I really did it to honor his legacy and promote his legacy and carry on what that started and started so beautifully, you know, I think Black Panther means so much to so many people, we owe it to him to carry it forward and today I feel his absence, but I also feel his presence when he said that he really It was like of course he would, that It made a lot of sense just with respect to the man he was and what he did for the culture and for his people and his focus on that and the commitment that they are on and so it was very clear to me when I once heard that and then it was about giving 100 percent all the time because it was about honoring Chadwick.

I feel sorry for me. It's a beautiful contribution to Chadwick's legacy. I feel like it's a love letter. I know that every day I went to set I focused my energy on each scene to dedicate it to him. I wanted to dedicate Excellence to this film so he could be proud. Yes we love them oh my gosh I can't wait. Don't wait, I can't believe I can't believe I got so lucky. I can't believe I was able to love this person and also get them to love me. Simone, you with me every day, I have to admit.

You love yourself right now God, you want me to preach a sermon um I feel like I'm living in my purpose um but the funny thing about purpose is that more and more is revealed to you every day so that you can be living in what was revealed to you at a particular moment. and then you might plateau because you're supposed to do more, it doesn't just stop when you do one thing, so I think it's just being open. to what you are supposed to do right now and not get stuck in the past because the purpose is not career related.

Purpose is not related to a job, it is related to what God put inside you and what you are supposed to give to the future. world and you can do that in a number of different positions and ways, so I think it's staying open to what that Essence is at all times, okay, those are three questions that you almost asked me very early on.