Simone Boseman honored the life of husband Chadwick Boseman at the 2021 Gotham Awards. Boseman passed away in August of 2020 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer. The Black Panther actor kept his health battle a secret from the public and even his closest collaborators. However, his family knew his struggle and watched him continue to work, despite how much pain he was in. Simone Boseman accepted the Actor Tribute award on behalf of Boseman, noting, “As an artist, an actor, and a person, Chad made a practice of telling the truth.”
Simone Boseman’s heartfelt speech after accepting Gotham Award in Chadwick Boseman’s honor
‘Keep shining your light on us’pic.twitter.com/ZI6lsmNlOK
— Fandom (@getFANDOM) January 12, 2021
Chadwick Boseman received the Actor Tribute award for his performance in the Netflix movie Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Simone began her tribute by stating, “He is the most honest person I’ve ever met because he didn’t just stop at speaking the truth, he actively searched for it. In himself, in those around him and in the moment.” After his passing, some of the actor’s closest collaborators echoed some of the very same sentiments. Simone went on to say, “The truth can be a very easy thing for the self to avoid, but if one does not live in truth, then it’s impossible to live in line with a divine purpose for your life. And so it became how he lived his life, day in, day out. Imperfect, but determined.”
Simone Boseman went on to talk about Chadwick Boseman’s ability to take on real-life characters like Jackie Robinson in 42, or James Brown in Get On Up. “He was blessed to live many lives within his concentrated one,” she said. “He developed his understanding of what it meant to be the one, the none and the all. ‘A vessel to be poured into and out of,’ he’d said.” Boseman’s role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom has people speculating about an Academy Award nomination.
Simone Boseman finished her tribute by saying, “Chad, thank you. I love you. I am so proud of you. Keep shining your light on us.” The emotional tribute was the highlight of the 2021 Gotham Awards and many fans of the Black Panther actor are hoping he will continue to win awards in the wake of his death. For a lot people, Chadwick Boseman was more than an actor, he was a pillar of his community and friend to many.
With Black Panther 2 on the way, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are beginning to wonder what the future of the franchise will focus on. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige recently revealed that they will not be recreating Chadwick Boseman digitally, and that they will go on to explore more of Wakanda, while paying tribute to the late actor at the same time. Ryan Coogler is currently working on the script for the highly anticipated sequel, so we should have more information soon. CNN was one of the first outlets to report on Simone Boseman’s tribute to her late husband.
