Social media has been flooded with tributes to Chadwick Boseman in the wake of his sudden passing on Friday — and many of them display just how compassionate and resilient he was while privately fighting for his own life.
As you’re likely aware by now, the beloved Marvel actor died following a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was just 43 years old.
While fans continue to mourn the tragic loss, many have flocked to a resurfaced video from the 2018 Sirius XM Town Hall event in which Boseman gets emotional talking about a conversation he had with two boys with terminal cancer, who also just so happened to be huge Black Panther fans. Get your tissues ready for this one…
In the clip, Boseman was beside himself recalling how great of an impact the record-breaking superhero movie had on the two young men named Ian and Taylor, whom he met while visiting St. Jude Children’s Hospital. He said at the time:
“It’s a humbling experience because you’re like, ‘This can’t mean that much to them,’ you know? 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.”
Though they were beyond excited to see the film premiere that year, the South Carolina native broke down in tears telling the crowd how devastated he was to learn the boys had passed away from their terminal cancer before Black Panther hit theaters. Even with supportive co-stars Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira by his side, he could barely muster up the words to say about the tragedy:
“And when I found that they …So yeah, it means a lot.”
Wow. What an incredibly sad story that holds even more significance in light of what we know about his own cancer battle. He added more about how Ian and Taylor encouraged him to give the iconic role his best:
“Throughout our filming, I was communicating with them, knowing that they were both terminal. What they said to me and what their parents said, they… trying to hold on til this movie comes. You hear them say that and you’re like, ‘Wow… I gotta get up and go to the gym, I gotta get up and go to work, I gotta learn these lines.”
We can’t say this enough, but Chadwick was so more than a beloved superhero or accomplished actor — this was a truly inspiring individual gone way too soon.
WATCH his full remarks in the clip (below):
Additionally, see photos from the actor’s time at St. Jude’s shared via Twitter here:
It’s not every day that St. Jude gets a visit from an Avenger! Thank you @ChadwickBoseman for stopping by to bring joy to our patients and learn more about our lifesaving mission!
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— St. Jude (@StJude) September 12, 2018
And read their organization’s Instagram statement on his passing (below):
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our friend Chadwick Boseman. Two years ago, Chadwick visited the St. Jude campus and brought with him not only toys for our patients but also joy, courage and inspiration. He was an incredible role model for our patients and children from all around the world. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”
[Image via Sirius XM/YouTube]
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