Wakanda forever!
We lost a giant last week. Chadwick Boseman was perhaps the world's best at playing inspiring characters - literally every role I've seen him in was exceptionally full of inspiration and empowerment. He was just as inspiring in real life, actively fighting for the things he believed in and struggling to keep acting even as his cancer got worse, before passing away at the tragically young age of 43 years. Boseman is gone but will definitely not be forgotten, as his legacy shall live on in Hollywood history. His role as Marvel superhero Black Panther was an enormous milestone for representation of African culture in mainstream cinema, and his multiple roles as famous historical figures in various biopics brought some amazing true stories to life on the big screen. Here are some of his best roles.
Rest in Power, Chadwick.
5. Thurgood Marshall in Marshall (2017)
In this real-life court drama, Boseman portrayed Thurgood Marshall, the lawyer who would one day become America's first African-American Supreme Court Justice. The film focuses on a career-defining case of his from the 1940's, and Boseman carries the role with class. His role pays tribute to the real Thurgood Marshall, as he is portrayed as a true hero of law who stood up for people wronged because of the color of their skin.
While Boseman's acting isn't as complex here as in many of his other roles, it doesn't need to be: it's still a strong performance, and all that the movie needs it to be. Stepping into the shoes of a historical icon is always a difficult task, and this was one of the many times that the actor proved himself worthy of the challenge.
4. Stormin' Norman in Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Even as his cancer got worse, the man stayed strong and kept on doing what he loved. In one of his very last roles, Boseman played soldier Stormin' Norman in Spike Lee's newest joint Da 5 Bloods. In the movie's present-day timeline, the character is dead and his friends miss him deeply (I'm guessing that watching the film after Boseman's passing will make the viewing experience a lot more gripping and real), but in the flashbacks to the Vietnam War, we get to see him in full force.
While he has much less screentime than the movie's main stars, he absolutely steals the show with his fantastically inspiring performance. Playing inspiring characters was definitely one of Boseman's strongest suits as an actor, and this role is a perfect example of that. Stormin' Norman is a source of empowerment to the main characters through his civil rights activism, motivational words and overall spirit of comradery and fighting for equality, and Boseman was the best possible actor for this role. The scene where the main characters find out about Martin Luther King's assassination and want to shed blood against white people as revenge, but Stormin' Norman talks them out of it with a speech about the peace that Dr. King stood for, is incredibly powerful.
3. James Brown in Get On Up (2014)
James Brown is right up there with Freddie Mercury and Elton John in the category of extremely unique and peculiar musicians that can only be portrayed on film by an immensely talented actor. Playing such a difficult and, let's face it, often quite unlikable personality was an untypical casting choice for Chadwick Boseman, but he really got to show his range with this layered performance. He plays the scenes focusing on Brown's less-than-perfect sides with a believable mix of egoism and ignorance, while still managing to be his inspiring self in the scenes focusing on Brown's genius and charisma. He also put a lot of work into learning some seriously awesome dance moves for the live performance scenes, and even sang some of the vocal parts himself!
Boseman's skill with accents and voices cannot be understated. In every role I've seen him in, he has sounded different, always matching the era and location of his character's story with perfection. This must have been one of the harder performances in his career to nail voice-wise, as James Brown had a notoriously one-of-a-kind way of speaking, yet Boseman got it completely right.
2. T'Challa / Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019)
This was his best-known role, and the one that will make sure that the name Chadwick Boseman will never be forgotten in the world of cinema. The actual acting skill that went into the role is quite remarkable for a superhero movie: from the specific dialects in T'Challa's way of speaking to the gravitas in his facial expressions, the role is full of expertly done nuances. The original Marvel comic character T'Challa was a huge deal, and Boseman definitely understood the power that came with the role. He plays the character as an untypical Marvel hero: instead of constantly quipping zany one-liners like Iron Man and Captain America, Black Panther is a more serious and subdued character whose charisma and likability come from the intricacies of Boseman's dramatic and awe-inspiring acting.
But there is more to this role than just acting skill. The role of Black Panther was an absolute game-changer not just in the world of movies, but in culture on a larger scale. The film had a profound impact on people of color all over the world, and Chadwick Boseman carried the role and its impact with grace. Following his passing, the internet has been filled with powerful imagery of Black Panther fans showing what Boseman and his performance meant to them: from children holding memorials with their Marvel action figures and black athletes celebrating goals with the Wakanda pose, to black celebrities sharing what the film and role meant to them and how much it inspired them, it is clear that this role touched millions of people and created an amazing legacy for the actor.
1. Jackie Robinson in 42 (2013)
While this performance doesn't have the same cinematic royalty -status as Black Panther, it is my favorite from Chadwick Boseman in terms of pure acting skill. In 42, he took on the role of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American baseball player to play in the MLB. Just like he did with Thurgood Marshall and James Brown, the actor does a magnificent job stepping into the shoes of a huge historical figure, this time with the added challenge that the film really dives into his psyche instead of focusing on individual events. Robinson's inner conflict of wanting to fight the system yet knowing that fighting back might cost him his career comes to life in a gripping manner, as Boseman does a brilliant job portraying the burden that constant racist treatment in an unfair society has on people. The scene where he smashes his baseball bat on a wall and screams, after barely holding it together on the pitch, is phenomenally well-acted.
I watched this film last Saturday after learning of the actor's untimely death. There's a scene in which Robinson encounters little children who are fans of his at a train station, and the kids weep in joy as their hero throws a signed ball to them. That scene moved me to tears, as I realized that this is the exact same kind of impact that Chadwick Boseman had in his own life on incredibly many children of color around the world by becoming the Black Panther and living up to the role. It is astonishing how an actor who is so well-known for playing inspiring roles can equal that level of inspiration with his real-life persona, and it is heartbreaking that he left us at such a young age. But we will always have his incredible body of work with us, and his legacy will live on.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my top 10 comedy TV episodes of all time.
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