20/20 (1978–…): Season 43, Episode 35 - Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King - full transcript

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

I'M ROBIN ROBERTS.

YOU JUST SAW THE FILM "BLACK

PANTHER."

THE DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE OF

CHADWICK BOSEMAN, A SUPERHERO

WHO TOOK A WHOLE GENERATION OF

KIDS AND KID AT HEART LIKE ME

AND YOU TOO INTO A BRAVE NEW

WORLD.

THAT'S WHY IT IS PAINFUL TO BE



HERE TONIGHT HONORING A LIFE AND

A LIGHT THAT SHOULD HAVE GONE ON

FOR DECADES TO COME.

A LIFE THAT HAS NOW BEEN CUT

SHORT AT JUST 43 AFTER A

VALIANT FOUR‐YEAR BATTLE WITH

COLON CANCER.

WHEN WE HEARD OF HIS PASSING,

MANY OF US COULDN'T PUT INTO

WORDS WHAT THAT LOSS MEANT.

BUT THERE IS ONE IMAGE THAT

CAPTURES THE FEELING.

IT WAS THE LOSS OF A KING, KING

T'CHALLA.



CHADWICK DIED ON THE SAME DAY AS

JACKIE ROBINSON DAY.

AND ON THE 57th ANNIVERSARY OF

THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON.

AT THIS MOMENT IN OUR COUNTRY'S

HISTORY AS THOUSANDS FROM ALL

BACKGROUNDS PROTEST IN A DEMAND

FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, CHADWICK

BOSEMAN PLAYED AN INSTRUMENTAL

ROLE IN DEFINING OUR CULTURE.

HE PLAYED SOME OF THE GREATS IN

BLACK HISTORY, JACKIE ROBINSON,

AND JAMES BROWN.

THURGOOD MARSHALL.

AND MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST

BLACK SUPERHERO IN HIS OWN

MOVIE.

TONIGHT WE HONOR THAT INCREDIBLE

LIFE AND LEGACY, A CELEBRATION

FIT FOR A KING.

HERE IS DEBRA ROBERTS.

I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME

WITH CHADWICK.

I MEAN THE STATEMENTS THAT I

KNOW EVERYONE IS MAKING, AND

EVERYONE CAN MAKE BECAUSE HE WAS

HERE FAR TOO SHORT A TIME.

CHADWICK WAS A DEEPLY KIND

AND GENTLE PERSON AND VERY

PRESENT AND THOUGHTFUL.

AND THOSE QUALITIES ARE ALL SO

PRESENT IN HIS WORK.

HE'S A HISTORICAL FIGURE AS

THE "BLACK PANTHER" BUT ALSO

SUCH A GOOD AND DECENT HUMAN

BEING.

CHADWICK, MY FRIEND, YOU WILL

FOREVER BE REMEMBERED BY YOUR

WARM SMILE AND KIND HEART AND

YOUR FIERCE COURAGEOUSNESS

THROUGH GREAT ADVERSITY.

YOU WANTED TO FOLLOW THE GUY

INTO ANYTHING.

FROM THE MOMENT CHADWICK

STEPPED ON SCREEN, YOU JUST

BOUGHT IT.

HE WAS ALWAYS GRACE AND

HUMILITY PERSONIFIED.

HOW YOU HELD YOURSELF.

IT WILL LIVE ON.

HE GAVE ALL OF US AND ALL OF

OUR CHILDREN AN EXAMPLE OF A

GREAT, GRACIOUS, AND HUMBLE

LEADER.

THANK YOU FOR INSPIRING US

AND THE KIDS AROUND THE WORLD.

IT'S ONLY FIT TO BE MOURNING

HIM LIKE A KING.

THE WAY HE HANDLED HIS LIFE

AND MANAGING CANCER WITH SUCH

HUMILITY AND GRACE AND DIGNITY

LETS US ALL KNOW HE WAS TRULY A

SUPERHERO.

I LOVE YOU, MAN.

HAVE A WONDERFUL JOURNEY

WHEREVER IT IS YOU ARE GOING.

THEY'RE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU.

THIS LOSS IS FELT AROUND THE

WORLD.

PEOPLE IN EVERY COUNTRY, HE WAS

PRETTY AMAZING.

HE IS WAKANDA FOREVER.

WAKANDA FOREVER!

FOR A GENERATION OF KIDS,

CHADWICK BOSEMAN IS THE DEFINING

IMAGE OF A SUPERHERO.

STRONG, POWERFUL, AND BLACK.

HIS ICONIC PORTRAYAL OF THE

BLACK PANTHER SEALING HIS PLACE

IN HISTORY.

SOME PEOPLE ROLL THEIR EYES,

AND GO, COME ON, IT IS JUST A

MOVIE.

BUT WAS "ROCKY" JUST A MOVIE OR

DID IT INSPIRE?

THAT'S WHAT CHADWICK EMBODIED,

AN IDEA, A PROMISE, A POTENTIAL.

HE'LL BE REMEMBERED AND

CHERISHED AND LOVED IN OUR

HEARTS, NOT WHAT HE WAS ABLE TO

OFFER ON FILM BUT WHAT HE WAS

ABLE TO GIVE AS A HUMAN BEING.

IT IS NOT JUST A LOSS WE ARE

FEELING.

WE ARE GOING TO FEEL HIS

ABSENCE.

HIS ABSENCE.

AN ARTIST, A MOVIE STAR, A

CULTURE HERO.

HE MADE HIS NAME PORTRAYING AN

AMERICAN ICON, JACKIE ROBINSON.

JAMES BROWN.

THURGOOD MARSHALL.

I THOUGHT BACK TO ALL THE

PERFORMANCES, ALL THE INCREDIBLE

PEOPLE HE'S PLAYED.

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO IT AS

CONVINCINGLY AS HE DID.

IF HE DID NOT POSSESS THAT SAME

GRACE IN REAL LIFE, YOU CAN'T

ACT THAT.

JUST AFTER HIS CAREER REACHED

HEIGHTS, A DEVASTATING BLOW,

BOSEMAN DYING AFTER A FOUR‐YEAR

BATTLE WITH COLON CANCER.

I AM COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY

ABOUT HOW THIS MAN WAS ABLE TO

NOT ONLY DO AS MUCH WORK AS HE

DID WHILE ALSO BATTLING COLON

CANCER.

YOU CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF HE

WAS TOUCHED BY GOD.

THE NEWS OF HIS DEATH

SHATTERING MANY BIG HOLLYWOOD

NAMES.

YOU WERE THE LAST PERSON I

THOUGHT WOULD LEAVE US.

THE LAST PERSON I THOUGHT COULD

LEAVE US SO SOON.

YOU'RE NOT JUST MY HERO, MY

FRIEND.

YOU WERE MY SUPERHERO AND MY

BLACK PANTHER.

IT IS A TOUGH LOSS.

HE HAD THAT POWER IN HIS ART TO

DEFINE A GENERATION.

HE IS THAT GENERATION DEFINING

ACTOR.

DIRECTOR RYAN COOGLER

RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING, I

HAVE TO RECKON THE FACT THAT

CHAD IS AN ANCESTOR NOW AND I

KNOW HE'LL WATCH OVER US UNTIL

WE MEET AGAIN.

YOU FEEL THE WEIGHT AND WHAT

HE BROUGHT TO THE ROLES HE

PLAYED AS HE APPLIED THEM TO THE

REAL WORLD.

BOSEMAN'S IMPACT WENT FAR

BEYOND THE ENTERTAINMENT

INDUSTRY.

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND MICHELLE

OBAMA POSTING THEIR MEMORIES.

THE FORMER FIRST LADY WRITING,

HIS BRILLIANCE ON SCREEN WAS

MATCHED BY HIS WARMTH IN PERSON.

I CAN'T THINK OF AN ACTOR WHO

WOULD BE CONSIDERED MORE

IRREPLACEABLE, LESS DISPENSABLE,

MORE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY RIGHT

NOW THAN CHADWICK BOSEMAN.

AND SO, THAT HE'S GONE IS A

MONUMENTAL LOSS FOR EVERYONE.

CHADWICK BOSEMAN GREW UP IN

SOUTH CAROLINA, WRITING HIS

FIRST PLAY IN HIGH SCHOOL.

THEN GOING ON ATTEND THE

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AT

HOWARD UNIVERSITY.

EVERYONE GOING TO HOWARD

REMINDS YOU EVERY CHANCE THEY

GET THAT HE WENT TO HOWARD.

HE REVEALED ONE OF HIS IDOL,

SOMETHING HE TALKED TO MY

COLLEAGUE MICHAEL STRAHAN ABOUT

AT THE OSCARS.

DENZEL WASHINGTON PAID FOR

YOU TO GO TO A THEATER PROGRAM,

AND YOU HAD A CHANCE TO THANK

HIM, WHAT WAS THAT CONVERSATION

LIKE?

IT WAS A FUN CONVERSATION.

THE FIRST THING HE SAID WAS, YOU

OWE ME MONEY.

I CAME TO COLLECT.

BOSEMAN PUBLICLY REPAID THAT

DEBT OF GRATITUDE, HONORING

WASHINGTON AS HE ACCEPTED THE

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.

THERE IS NO "BLACK PANTHER"

WITHOUT DENZEL WASHINGTON.

AFTER GRADUATING FROM HOWARD

IN 2000, BOSEMAN WENT ON TO WORK

IN HOLLYWOOD, MOSTLY IN

TELEVISION.

HIS BREAKOUT ROLE CAME IN 2013,

AS BASEBALL LEGEND JACKIE

ROBINSON IN THE MOVIE "42."

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN

ONE OF THESE PITCHERS THROWS AT

YOUR HEAD?

I'LL DUCK.

ROBINSON'S DAUGHTER SHARING

HER MEMORY OF THE ACTOR.

WE THOUGHT HE WAS ACCURATE

AND HE GOT THE INTENSITY OF MY

FATHER AND HE BUILT ON THE

IMPORTANCE OF MY DAD'S

CHARACTER.

YOU REALLY FELT THE ANGUISH AND

THE FRUSTRATION AND THAT WAS MY

DAD.

THAT'S HOW HE WOULD BE FEELING

AT THAT MOMENT ON THE FIELD IN

PHILADELPHIA.

BOSEMAN HAD A GIFT FOR

EMBODYING REAL LIFE HEROES.

IN 2014, TAKING ON MUSIC ICON

JAMES BROWN IN "GET ON UP."

YOU PEOPLE BETTER BE READY.

ESPECIALLY THE WHITE FOLK.

THE ACTOR DOING ALL HIS

DANCING.

DID IT SCARE YOU AT ALL?

I FELT LIKE NOBODY SHOULD DO

THIS.

I WENT ONLINE AND LOOKED AT

THE FOOTAGE OF HIM DANCING AND I

WAS LIKE, ABSOLUTELY NOT.

THE HARDEST THING WAS THE

GROOVE.

YOU KNOW, JAMES BROWN'S GROOVE.

ONCE YOU GET THAT YOU SORT OF

UNDERSTAND THE REST OF IT.

HE DID AN AMAZING JOB.

BROWN'S DAUGHTER REFLECTING

ON BOSEMAN'S WORK ETHIC.

HE CAME DOWN TO DAD'S HOME IN

SOUTH CAROLINA.

WE WENT THROUGH OLD COSTUMES,

LITERALLY OLD CLOTHES AND HE

TRIED ON CLOTHES AND TRIED TO

EMBODY HIM AND DID A LOT OF

RESEARCH AND WORKED WITH THE

CHOREOGRAPHER FIVE HOURS A DAY

AND CAME BACK EVEN AFTER HE GOT

ON SET TO DO EVEN MORE WORK.

I WILL BE FOREVER INDEBTED TO

HIM FOR HOW HE MADE MY DAD'S

LIFE STORY COME TO LIFE LIKE

THAT.

IN 2017, BOSEMAN AGAIN

PORTRAYED AN AMERICAN LEGEND,

THURGOOD MARSHALL.

THE NAACP IS NOT TAKING ANY

DEALS.

SOMEBODY THAT I EXPECTED TO

BE VERY INTIMIDATED BY AND WHEN

I MET HIM IT WAS LIKE WE HAD

KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A DECADE.

AND THERE WAS SUCH AN

APPROACHABILITY.

BUT HIS CAREER DEFINING ROLE

WOULD BE BRINGING A FICTIONAL

HERO TO LIFE.

ROARING ON TO THE SCREEN AS

T'CHALLA.

"BLACK PANTHER," TWO YEARS LATER

IN 2018, BOSEMAN REVEALED

WAKANDA INTO THE WORLD.

"BLACK PANTHER," FEATURING A

MOSTLY BLACK CAST.

GENRE AND BOX OFFICE BUSTING IN

EVERY WAY.

THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A THIRST

FOR SOMETHING.

WHAT'S THE FIRST?

PEOPLE ARE STARVED FOR THE

IMAGES THAT THEY SEE.

THEY SEE POWER AND SPECTACLE AND

INTELLIGENCE AND ACHIEVEMENT.

PEOPLE CAN SEE NOT JUST

THEMSELVES BUT THEIR DREAMS.

THEY SEE THEIR DREAMS.

IT'S ASPIRATIONAL.

IF THERE IS A LOT OF BLACK

PEOPLE IN IT, IT IS SEEN AS A

BLACK MOVIE.

THIS WAS CRICKET CONSTRUCTED AND

IMAGINED AS A UNIVERSAL MOVIE.

WELCOMING CHADWICK BOSEMAN.

BOSEMAN BECAME A BONA FIDE

MOVIE STAR.

WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE

TO BE TOLD THAT THERE IS NOT A

PLACE FOR YOU TO BE FEATURED.

YET YOU ARE YOUNG AND GIFTED AND

BLACK.

T'CHALLA WOULD LEAD HIM TO

THE NEXT TWO "AVENGERS" FILMS.

THE BIGGEST GROSSING MOVIES OF

ALL TIME.

WE HAD NO IDEA THAT HE HAD

BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH COLON CANCER

IN 2016.

HE ENDURED COUNTLESS SURGERIES

AND CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENTS

WHILE HE WAS PLAYING THESE

CHARACTERS.

IN 2018 HE RETURNED TO HOWARD

UNIVERSITY, DELIVERING THE

SPEECH AT THE 150th

COMMENCEMENT.

YOU CAN USE YOUR EDUCATION TO

IMPROVE THE WORLD YOU ARE

ENTERING.

CHADWICK KNEW AND UNDERSTOOD

THE IMPORTANCE OF USING HIS

PLATFORM TO DO SOMETHING GREATER

THAN TO BENEFIT HIMSELF.

AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS

YEAR, BOSEMAN WAS GEARING UP TO

DEBUT HIS NEWEST FILM, "DA 5

BLOODS," DIRECTED BY SPIKE LEE.

THE FILM PREMIERING IN THE MIDST

OF THE COVID‐19 PANDEMIC,

HOLLYWOOD LARGELY SHUT DOWN AND

GOING SILENT.

HIS FINAL POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA

AFTER KAMALA HARRIS, A FRIEND,

WAS NAMED THE DEMOCRATIC VICE

PRESIDENT NOMINEE.

HIS LAST POST WAS TO

ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOTE AND

BORN OF THE LOVE OF OUR COUNTRY.

IT IS SO REFLECTIVE OF CHADWICK.

JUST 17 DAYS LATER, THE

INCOMPREHENSIBLE NEWS THAT THE

FIRST BLACK MOVIE SUPERHERO TO

HEADLINE HIS OWN FRANCHISE HAS

DIED.

THE GRACE AND COURAGE THAT

CHADWICK DISPLAYED WHILE

FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE IS

IMMEASURABLE.

I DON'T THINK PEOPLE

APPRECIATE JUST HOW GREAT HE WAS

WHILE HE WAS LIVING.

AND IT'S EXHILARATING TO HEAR

ALL THESE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE

BEING SAID AND WRITTEN ABOUT

HIM, IT'S MY HOPE IS THAT HE

HEARD THEM WHILE HE WAS STILL

WITH US.

IF YOU LOOK BACK ON IT YOU

WOULD THINK, WELL, IF YOU KNEW

YOUR TIME MAY BE LIMITED, YOU

WOULD HAVE A GOOD OF A TIME AS

YOU COULD AS WELL.

BRAVO FOR HIM.

HE PLAYED ICONS AND NOW HE

HAS BECOME AN ICON HIMSELF AND

HIS LEGACY IS ONE FOR THE AGES.

OUR THANKS TO DEB.

JOINING US NOW, PHYLICIA RASHAD.

FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SEND MY

SINCERE AND CONDOLENCES AND I

KNOW HOW SPECIAL HE WAS TO YOU.

SOME WOULD SAY YOU HELPED TO

LAUNCH HIS CAREER.

YOU SAW AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM

TO GET MORE TRAINING AT A

PROGRAM AT OXFORD BUT IT WAS

EXPENSIVE.

TELL US THE STORY OF HOW YOU

HELPED HIM AND HOW SOMEBODY BY

THE NAME OF DENZEL FITS INTO

THIS PICTURE.

WELL, I RECEIVED A CALL AND

THEY SAID, OH, MS. RASHAD, WE

WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE

AUDITIONED FOR THE DRAMATIC ARTS

MIDSUMMER PROGRAM AND WE GOT IN.

I SAID, WELL, THAT'S GREAT.

BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO GO AND I

ASKED WHY NOT AND HE SAID

BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY

TO GO.

WE CAN'T AFFORD IT.

AND I TELL THEM, YOU ARE GOING.

YOU PACK YOUR BAGS AND YOU ARE

GOING.

BE READY.

SO I MADE A PHONE CALL TO A

FRIEND OF MINE.

AND HE CALLE DME BACK AND WE

TALKED ABOUT IT FOR 45 MINUTES

OR LESS AND HE SAID, OKAY, I GOT

THIS MANY.

SO HE SENT THEM.

SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE TO HELP

OUT LIKE THAT.

WHEN YOU THINK OF A BRIGHT LIKE

LIKE CHADWICK WHO'S NOW GONE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK HIS LEGACY

WILL BE TO YOUNG ACTORS AND

ESPECIALLY YOUNG ACTORS OF

COLOR, PEOPLE WHO MAY BE IN

SCHOOL NOW AND HOPING FOR THAT

SAME BREAK?

I THINK WHEN PEOPLE COME TO

KNOW OF HIM NOW, THROUGH THE

WORDS OF ME AND OTHER PEOPLE

WHO HAVE KNOWN HIM, WHAT WILL

BECOME READILY APPARENT TO THEM

IS HIS COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE AND

PURPOSE.

AND IF YOU GO BACK AND LISTEN TO

THE COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS THAT HE

GAVE AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY, HE

SPOKE FERVENTLY ABOUT THE

IMPORTANCE OF PURPOSE.

ALWAYS AS A STUDENT, HE WAS

ABOUT JUSTICE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND

JUDICIAL AND EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE

AND RELIGIOUS JUSTICE, HE WAS

ABOUT JUSTICE.

AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE PAYING

TRIBUTE TO HIM TONIGHT.

PHYLICIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

SHARING YOUR MEMORIES, WE

APPRECIATE IT AND WISH YOU ALL

THE BEST.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

AND COMING UP, ROBERT DOWNEY

JR.'S TRIBUTE TO HIS FRIEND.

AND HOW "BLACK PANTHER" CREATED

MOVIE MAGIC AND SOME SAY

TRANSFORMED THE WORLD.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

T‐MOBILE PROUDLY BRINGS YOU

SPECIAL EDITION OF 20/20

CHADWICK BOSEMAN

A TRIBUTE FOR A KING.

WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE.

I AM JOINED NOW BY A VERY

FAMILIAR FACE TO MANY OF US.

TONY STARK, AKA IRON MAN.

BUT ALSO A DEAR FRIEND OF

CHADWICK'S FROM THE MARVEL

UNIVERSE.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR., SO GOOD OF

YOU TO BE WITH US TONIGHT.

AND YOU AND CHADWICK SHARED SOME

ICONIC MOMENTS ONSCREEN TOGETHER

AS FELLOW AVENGERS.

TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR MEMORIES

OF CHADWICK ON‐SET.

WELL, TOWARDS THE END OF THE

THIRD "AVENGERS," "THE INFINITY

WAR", WE ALL KIND OF LOSE

TOGETHER.

THERE WERE A FEW DAYS ALL OF THE

AVENGERS WERE TOGETHER.

JUST THE WAY HE WALKED ON‐SET,

AND THE IMMENSE SUCCESS THAT HAD

OCCURRED, AND RIGHTFULLY SO WITH

"BLACK PANTHER."

HE WAS JUST IN THIS KIND OF

STRATUS OF HIS OWN.

BUT ALWAYS HUMBLE, ALWAYS

HARD‐WORKING, ALWAYS A SMILE ON

HIS FACE.

AND JUST NOW LOOKING BACK ALL

THE MORE, I REALIZE WHAT AN

INCREDIBLY GRACEFUL HUMAN BEING

HE WAS.

ROBERT, YOU SHARED SUCH A

HEARTWARMING VIDEO ON INSTAGRAM

YESTERDAY.

THE TWO OF YOU, YOU WERE

LAUGHING AND YOU CALLED HIM A

GAME CHANGER.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO REMEMBER

YOUR FRIEND AND HOW DO YOU WANT

THE REST OF THE WORLD TO

REMEMBER HIM, TOO?

IT WAS ABOUT SIX OR EIGHT

WEEKS AGO, I HAD REACHED OUT TO

HIM AMIDST THE GEORGE FLOYD

PROTEST AND HE HAD SUCH A

THOUGHTFUL AND KIND OF

INFORMATIVE REFRAME FOR ME AS I

WAS ON A BIT OF A LISTENING

TOUR.

AND THEN I JUST GO BACK AND

THINK, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME I

THINK ABOUT ‐‐ AND "BLACK

PANTHER" IS HANDS DOWN THE

CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT OF THE

MARVEL UNIVERSE.

IT WAS THE ONE WHERE PEOPLE GOT

TO VOTE WITH THEIR TICKET SALES

AND SAY WE REQUIRE THIS OVERDUE

DIVERSITY.

THIS IS A MERITOCRACY, OR SHOULD

BE, AND THIS FANTASTIC MOVIE

HAS LEVELLED THE PLAYING FIELD

AND APPROPRIATELY SO.

HIS LEGACY IS SO MEANINGFUL AND

AT THE SAME TIME I WAS NOTICING

AND SO GREAT OF YOU TO DO THIS

ON ABC AND DISNEY AND MARVEL TO

GIVE THIS THE SPACE IT DESERVES.

THERE IS A VOID NOW.

SO GENEROUS OF YOU TO SHARE

THAT WITH EVERYONE.

ROBERT, WE APPRECIATE IT SO

VERY, VERY MUCH.

YOU TAKE CARE.

THANKS, ROBIN.

YES, THEY WERE JUST TWO

WORDS, WAKANDA FOREVER.

BUT IN SO MANY WAYS THEY SUMMED

UP CENTURIES OF STRUGGLES.

AND THE WORLD FIRST HEARD THEM

IN THE GAME‐CHANGING MOVIE,

"BLACK PANTHER," THE FIRST

SUPERHERO FILM EVER NOMINATED

FOR A BEST PICTURE OSCAR.

IT WAS A CULTURAL MOMENT THAT

CHANGED EVERYTHING BEFORE IT AND

AFTER IT.

CHADWICK BOSEMAN WAS THE MAN FOR

MANY.

HERE IS BYRON PITTS.

EPIC BY EVERY

MEASURE.

WE ARE HOME.

SIZE, SCALE,

IMPACT.

"BLACK PANTHER" DID NOT SIMPLY

SHATTER RECORDS, IT BROKE

BOUNDARIES.

IT WAS A MOMENT OF COLLECTIVE

CELEBRATION.

BECAUSE OF THE STORY ITSELF BUT

ALSO BECAUSE OF CHADWICK.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IT, THE

BRILLIANCE OF IT, THE ELEGANCE

OF IT.

HE DID ALL OF THAT.

AT THE PREMIERE OF "BLACK

PANTHER," CHADWICK AND I SAW

EACH OTHER AND WE EMBRACED EACH

OTHER.

I SAID TO HIM, I CAN'T WAIT TO

SHARE THIS MOVIE WITH THE WORLD

AND HE LEANED IN AND WHISPERED

TO ME IN HIS SOFT VOICE AND HE

SAID, "I CAN'T WAIT TO CHANGE

THE WORLD."

AND CHANGE THE

WORLD IT DID.

WAKANDA FOREVER BECAME A

RALLYING CRY FOR MILLIONS

WHO FINALLY COULD SEE A

SUPERHERO ON SCREEN WHO LOOKED

LIKE THEM.

THIS VIDEO GOING VIRAL OF

ATLANTA STUDENTS DANCING WHEN

THEY WERE TOLD THEY BE WOULD

GOING TO SEE THE MOVIE.

THIS WAS THE FILM THAT WAS

TREATED WITH THE SAME RESPECT

AND THOUGHTFULNESS AS "CAPTAIN

AMERICA" AND "IRON MAN" AND THAT

WAS A GIFT TO A GENERATION OF

CHILDREN WHO NORMALLY WOULD HAVE

NEVER GOT TO SEE THAT BEFORE.

I SAY HE'S A STAR BUT ALSO A

SHOOTING STAR BECAUSE HE LIVED

HIS LIFE IN SUCH A WAY THAT

FOREVER KIDS SEE WHO HIM IN THAT

"BLACK PANTHER" ROLE AND SEE A

REFLECTION OF THEMSELVES

EMBODIED, AND EVERYTHING HE

INTENDED, AND THEY GET TO DREAM

ABOUT AND MAKE WISHES ON THAT

SHOOTING STAR THAT WAS CHADWICK

BOSEMAN.

CHAD WAS MY BROTHER.

AND I MEAN THAT IN THE SENSE OF

THERE IS OBVIOUSLY, BROTHER IN A

SENSE OF BEING AN

AFRICAN‐AMERICAN MAN IN AMERICA,

BUT THE BROTHERHOOD I AM REALLY

SPEAKING OF IS HOWARD.

AT COMMENCEMENT, HE

REFLECTED ON A ROLE HE THOUGHT

PLAYED INTO STEREOTYPES.

I WAS CONFLICTED, HOWARD

INSTILLED INTO ME A CERTAIN

AMOUNT OF PROUD.

CHAD WAS A VERY CONSCIOUS

DUDE.

AND HE WOULD NOT, HE WASN'T THE

KIND OF CAT THAT FELT HE HAD TO

TAKE A ROLE TO MAKE A LIVING.

HIS ART WAS AN ENGS EXTENSION OF

THAT STRUGGLE.

HE WAS NOT GOING TO TAKE

SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT GOING TO,

YOU KNOW, EMBARRASS HIM OR

EMBARRASS HIS PEOPLE OR THE

COMMUNITY.

THAT WAS NOT HIM.

HE PLAYED SMALLER

ROLES UNTIL HE GOT A CHANCE TO

EMBODY A REAL LIFE HERO, JACKIE

ROBINSON IN "42."

I DIDN'T COME HERE TO MAKE

FRIENDS.

I DON'T CARE IF THEY RESPECT ME.

I KNOW WHO I AM.

WHEN YOU PLAY SOMEONE WHO

LIVES SO COURAGEOUSLY, YOU ARE

ABLE TO SORT OF RISE TO THE

OCCASION IN A WAY BECAUSE YOU

PLAY SOMEONE WHO DOES THAT.

IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF COURAGE.

CHADWICK PLAYED GREAT MEN AND

HE WAS A GREAT MAN.

AND BRINGING REAL LIFE

CHARACTERS TO THE SCREEN WITH

SUCH AMAZING NOBILITY AND HUMOR

AND HUMANITY.

THAT WAS WHY HE WAS THE ONLY

CHOICE.

THE ONLY ACTOR WE DISCUSSED TO

PLAY T'CHALLA WAS CHADWICK.

HE BROUGHT ROYALTY, IT IS NOT

EASY TO PLAY A KING.

HE BROUGHT A REGAL SPIRIT.

AND HE ALWAYS HAD THAT.

"BLACK PANTHER" WAS

THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME FOR

BOSEMAN.

REIMAGINING WHAT IT MEANT TO BE

A WARRIOR, A HERO, A KING.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE AND I

SEE ALL THESE BLACK PEOPLE, IN

SOME WAYS IT SEEMS INTENTIONALLY

BLACK, BUT BY THE END OF IT, IT

IS COINCIDENTALLY BLACK.

IT'S A UNIVERSAL STORY.

YEAH.

THE TRUTH IS, YOU KNOW, ART CAN

DO THAT.

I GREW UP LOVING COMIC BOOKS.

THERE WAS NOT A BLACK FACE TO BE

FOUND.

OUR STORY IS ABOUT A MAN TAKING

ON A RESPONSIBILITY HE'S NOT

READY FOR.

I CAN'T THINK OF A MORE

UNIVERSAL WHOLE STORY.

EVERYBODY GOES THROUGH THAT.

YOU PORTRAYED THURGOOD

MARSHAL AND JAMES BROWN AND HOW

DID "BLACK PANTHER" FIT INTO

THAT?

THOSE ARE ALL MEN WHO CHANGED

HISTORY AND NOT ONLY HOW PEOPLE

SAW THEMSELVES BUT HOW OTHERS

SAW THEM.

I WOULD NOT BE HERE IF IT WAS

NOT FOR THOSE MEN I PORTRAYED

BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY DID IN

THEIR LIVES AND WHAT THE DOORS

THAT IT OPENED FOR ME.

WHEN I WALK INTO THE LAB AND I

AM FEELING MYSELF BECAUSE I AM

KING AND I AM WITH MY SISTER.

THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF JAMES

BROWN.

WHEN I AM HOLDING COURT, THERE

IS A LITTLE BIT OF THURGOOD

MARSHALL.

FOR GENERATIONS TO

COME, YOUNG MEN, IN PARTICULAR

THOSE OF COLOR STRIVE A LITTLE

BIT BOLDER AND A LITTLE CHADWICK

BOSEMAN IN THEM.

HE EXEMPLIFIES GRACE AND GRIT

WITH IT.

NOT ONLY IN HIS CAREER, BUT IN

HIS FINAL HOURS.

IN A FILM LIKE "BLACK

PANTHER," CHAD WAS ARTICULATING

THE HUMANITY OF BLACK FOLKS.

THAT'S WHAT IT IS ABOUT.

YOU CAN'T SHOOT A MAN IN THE

BACK UNLESS YOU BELIEVE THEY ARE

NOT HUMAN AT ALL.

WHAT CHAD WAS DOING IS

COMMUNICATING BLACK HUMANITY

THROUGH BLACK HEROISM.

BUT PRIMARILY, BLACK HUMANITY.

AND HE WAS PEERLESS IN HIS

ABILITY TO DO IT IN HIS CHOSEN

FIELD.

AND HE'S GONE.

SO THAT'S A HUGE LOSS.

THAT'S A HUGE, HUGE LOSS.

YOU WATCH MOVIES TO WALK IN

THE SHOES OF THE PROTAGONIST OR

THE HERO.

IT IS NOT JUST ME PLAYING BUT IT

IS ALSO YOU WATCHING IT.

I THINK THAT'S ‐‐ I FEEL BLESSED

TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO

DO THAT.

OUR THANKS TO BYRON.

AND NOW IT IS MY PLEASURE TO

WELCOME SOMEONE ELSE WHO WAS

PART OF THE CULTURAL MOMENT OF

"BLACK PANTHER," OSCAR WINNER

FORREST WHITTAKER, WHO PLAYED

ZURRI.

WE KNOW HE WAS SUCH A COLLEAGUE

AND DEAR FRIEND, THANK YOU FOR

BEING WITH US TONIGHT, AND CAN

YOU SHARE WITH US YOUR FONDEST

MEMORY OF YOUR TIME WORKING WITH

CHADWICK.

I WAS SO EXCITED TO GET TO

WORK WITH HIM.

HE WAS SUCH A TALENTED ARTIST

AND WE STARTED TO DO "BLACK

PANTHER" AND I STARTED WORKING

IN THE FALL AND I WAS ABLE TO

LOOK AT HIM AS HE WAS DOING THE

ACTION SEQUENCE WITH MICHAEL

JORDAN AND DOING EVERYTHING

HIMSELF OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND

I GOT TO RECOGNIZE HIM AND THE

DISCIPLINE HE HAD AND THE FOCUS

HE HAD IN THE SCENES WE WERE

DOING THERE.

I THINK I WAS KIND OF TOUCHED

WHEN WE WERE DOING THE

CORONATION SCENE WHERE THEY

CROWNED HIM KING AND EVERYONE IN

THE AUDIENCE IS DANCING AND

DRUMS WERE PLAYING.

I TALKED TO CHADWICK, HE SAYS,

YOU CAN FEEL THIS ENERGY COMING

AS IF THERE WAS A TRANSFORMATION

THAT WAS GOING ON.

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY

POWERFUL THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY

HAPPENING.

HE WAS BEING EMPOWERED.

I THINK IT IS THAT KIND OF

DISCIPLINE BUT OPENNESS.

YEAH.

THAT ALLOWED PART OF THE

PHENOMENON OF "BLACK PANTHER" TO

OCCUR WAS ALL THE THINGS THAT HE

DID, SORT OF INSPIRING PEOPLE TO

BELIEVE IN THEM AND REMEMBERING

THEIR HERITAGE, LINEAGE,

ANCESTRY.

THE BEAUTY AND CULTURE AND BLACK

CULTURE AND I GUESS EMPOWER

PEOPLE, CHILDREN TO BE ABLE

TO BE EMPOWERED AND SEE

THEMSELVES AND FOR PEOPLE TO SEE

THE POSSIBILITIES AND I THINK

THE POSSIBILITIES THAT IS

ASPIRATIONAL IN A WAY.

FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, HE

REPRESENTED A GREAT DEAL OF

HOPE.

PEOPLE REALIZED THAT MORE CAN

COME, THEY CAN HAVE GREAT LIVES,

AND THAT THEY COME FROM

SOMETHING SPECIAL, THEY HAVE

SOMETHING SPECIAL.

I THINK HE RECOGNIZED THAT IN A

POWERFUL WAY.

IT WAS REALLY AN HONOR TO DO IT.

SO WELL‐SAID FOR US, THANK

YOU, FOREST WHITTAKER, FOR BEING

WITH US TONIGHT.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

YOU TAKE CARE.

IT IS A PLEASURE, THANK YOU

FOR HAVING ME.

WHEN WE COME BACK, CHADWICK

BOSEMAN'S SILENT BATTLE WITH

CANCER AND THE POWERFUL ACTS OF

STRENGTH SHOWN IN PUBLIC.

HOW HIS DEATH IS RAISING THE

ALARM ON EARLIER CANCER

SCREENINGS.

THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT.

T‐MOBILE PROUDLY BRINGS YOU

SPECIAL EDITION OF 20/20

CHADWICK BOSEMAN

A TRIBUTE FOR A KING.

"YOU HAVE CANCER."

THOSE ARE WORDS THAT STRIKE FEAR

INTO EVERYONE.

AS I HAVE OFTEN SAID, IT IS A

COMMUNITY YOU DON'T WANT TO BE A

PART OF BUT SO MANY OF US ARE.

AND NOW WE KNOW CHADWICK BOSEMAN

WAS BATTLING IN PRIVATE.

JUST IMAGINE WHAT HE WAS GOING

THROUGH WITH TREATMENT AND THE

INNER STRENGTH HE MUST HAVE

CALLED ON TO KEEP UP WITH THE

GRUELING SCHEDULES OF MAKING

MOVIES.

SO WE WANT TO USE THIS AS A

TEACHABLE MOMENT.

WE KNOW CHADWICK WOULD HAVE

APPRECIATED THIS.

IT IS ABOUT TESTING AND EARLY

INTERVENTIONS.

HERE IS MY COLLEAGUE AND FELLOW

CANCER THRIVER, STEVE OSUNSAMI.

HOW ARE YOU?

GOOD.

I LOVED YOUR MOVIE.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE

AMAZING THINGS THAT CHADWICK

BOSEMAN KEPT ON DOING WHILE

QUIETLY STRUGGLING WITH CANCER.

BEING A REAL LIFE HERO AT

ST. JUDE'S HOSPITAL.

MEETING THESE CHILDREN WAS

HUGELY IMPORTANT FOR THIS

SUPERSTAR.

AND IT SHOWED ON THIS 2018

INTERVIEW AT SIRIUS XM.

THERE WERE TWO KIDS WHO

RECENTLY PASSED FROM CANCER.

THEY'RE TRYING TO HOLD ON UNTIL

THIS MOVIE COMES.

JUST TO EXPERIENCE THOSE TWO

LITTLE BOYS AND THE ANTICIPATION

OF THIS MOVIE AND WHEN I FOUND

OUT THAT THEY ‐‐

TAKE YOUR TIME WITH IT.

YEAH, IT MEANS A LOT.

ZOE DALE NEEDED EXHAUSTING

AND SOMETIMES PAINFUL RADIATION

TO FIGHT BRAIN CANCER WHEN KING

T'CHALLA HIMSELF CAME TO VISIT

AT THE HOSPITAL.

I WAS REALLY NERVOUS AND

BEING ABLE TO MEET HIM WAS ONE

OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES I HAD AT

ST. JUDE.

SHE WAS ALL SMILES

FOR THIS PHOTO WITH HER SISTER.

WE DID MARKS ON OUR FACE.

AND TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS

AFRICAN‐AMERICAN TO BE A LEAD IN

A MOVIE, SUCH A BIG MOVIE LIKE

THAT, TO SOUND LIKE OUR DAD, HE

WAS LIKE A ROLE MODEL THAT WE

CAN LOOK UP TO AND SOMEONE THAT

LOOKED LIKE US IN A MOVIE.

IT WAS HER 30th AND FINAL

TIME SHE WAS GOING TO THE

HOSPITAL FOR RADIATION.

AND THE ACTOR SIGNED HER

TREATMENT SCHEDULE WITH A

SPECIAL MESSAGE.

HE SIGNED THE RADIATION

SCHEDULE AND IT SAYS "WAKANDA,"

AND IFE, IT WAS TRANSLATED TO

LOVE.

WHAT THE DALE

FAMILY IS LEARNING NOW WAS THAT

BOSEMAN WAS SHOWING INCREDIBLE

STRENGTH AND CHARACTER, TRYING

TO TOUCH THE LIVES OF THESE SICK

CHILDREN.

I WAS THINKING HOW HE WAS

ABLE TO BE AT ST. JUDE WITH A

SMILE ON HIS FACE THE ENTIRE

TIME.

AND I WAS JUST THINKING, WOW.

BEHIND THAT SMILE,

SOMEONE SO YOUNG, WHO LOOKED SO

HEALTHY, WAS FIGHTING COLORECTAL

CANCER BEHIND THE SCENES.

IN 2020, IT WAS ESTIMATED

THAT MORE THAN 140,000 OF COLON

RECTAL CANCER WILL BE DIAGNOSED

WITH ALMOST 50,000 PEOPLE DYING

FROM THIS DISEASE.

IN THE LAST 20

YEARS, DOCTORS HAVE SEEN AN

ALARMING INCREASE IN YOUNG

PEOPLE.

DR. KIM YANG IS IN BOSTON.

THE RISE OF COLON CANCER

HAPPENING IN YOUNG PEOPLE HAS

BEEN STARTING TO BE SEEN SINCE

THE MID‐1990s AND IT IS

OCCURRING AT A RATE OF ABOUT 2%

PER YEAR.

AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN

RESPONSE TO THAT IS THE AMERICAN

CANCER SOCIETY ACTUALLY LOWERING

THEIR RECOMMENDED AGE TO START

COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING FROM

AGE 50 DOWN TO 45.

NOW, ALTHOUGH THAT MAY BE A GOOD

FIRST STEP, IT CERTAINLY DOES

NOT HELP ALL THE PATIENTS WE SEE

WHO ARE BEING DIAGNOSED AND

PRESENTING WHEN THEY ARE IN

COLON CANCER IS

ALSO HITTING BLACK AMERICANS

HARDER.

ACCORDING TO THIS DOCTOR AT THE

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS

ANGELES.

AFRICAN‐AMERICANS ARE MORE

LIKELY TO GET AND DIE FROM

COLORECTAL CANCER.

ALTHOUGH WE HAVE DONE BETTER

GETTING AFRICAN‐AMERICANS

SCREENED, WE HAVE QUITE A WAY TO

GO.

FOR DOCTORS LEADING

THE FIGHT OF THIS DISEASE, THE

TRAGEDY OF BOSEMAN'S DEATH IS A

CHANCE TO RAISE AWARENESS.

MY ONE GOAL AND MY ONE HOPE

IS THAT WE CAN USE THIS TIME TO

UNDERSTAND HOW COMMON COLORECTAL

CANCER IS AND WE CAN ALL EDUCATE

OURSELVES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE

OF SCREENING.

IF WE CAN DO THAT, THEN WE CAN

DO JUSTICE TO HIS LEGACY.

SO OFTEN THE YOUNG

PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES HE TOUCHED

WERE CALLED HIS WAKANDA

WARRIORS.

SOME OF THEM ARE STILL FIGHTING

FOR THEIR LIVES, AND THEY

CONTINUE TO DRAW STRENGTH FROM

THEIR FALLEN HERO.

HIS JOURNEY IMPACTS MINE JUST

TO KEEP GOING AND NO MATTER WHAT

YOU ARE GOING THROUGH, TO PUSH

FORWARD AND TO FIND A PURPOSE

THAT YOU ARE WORKING FOR AND

JUST TO BE STRONG.

THANK YOU, STEVE.

WHEN WE RETURN, BOSEMAN BEYOND A

SUPERHERO.

HOW THE ACTOR AND ACTIVIST IS

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION.

TONIGHTS

SPECIAL EDITION OF 20/20.

CHADWICK BOSEMAN

A TRIBUTE FOR A KING

HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU

PROUDLY BY T‐MOBILE.

CHADWICK ONCE SAID ABOUT HIS

CHARACTER IN "BLACK PANTHER,"

T'CHALLA IS BASICALLY SAYING, WE

HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE

WORLD OF BEING THE BEACON OF

LIGHT.

CHADWICK TOOK THAT TO HEART AND

THAT LIGHT IN TURN SPOKE TO SO

MANY OTHERS.

HE WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO LET

YOU KNOW THAT HE LOVED YOU AND

HOW HE FELT ABOUT YOU.

IT IS A RARE QUALITY.

YOU KNOW, HE HAD THIS

COMBINATION OF BEING AN OLD SOUL

WITH THE MOST INCREDIBLE TWINKLE

IN HIS EYES.

TO ALL THOSE LITTLE KIDS THAT

LOVED "BLACK PANTHER" AND LOOK

TO T'CHALLA AS THEIR HERO, JUST

KNOW THE GUY WHO PLAYED HIM IS

EVEN A BIGGER HERO IN REAL LIFE.

WAKANDA FOREVER!

THERE WILL BE AN

IRREPLACEABLE CHARACTER IN THE

MARVEL FAMILY.

REST IN POWER, KING.

HE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH AND

WHAT A LIFE, SO MUCH HE LEFT

BEHIND ONSCREEN AND SO MUCH HE

STILL HAD TO GIVE.

AS WE SAY GOOD NIGHT, WE WANT TO

LEAVE YOU YOU CHADWICK BOSEMAN'S

WORDS IN HIS OWN VOICE.

FROM THE DAY HE RECEIVED HIS

HONORARY DEGREE FROM HOWARD

UNIVERSITY.

AS YOU LISTEN, PLEASE HOLD HIM

AND HIS FAMILY IN YOUR HEARTS.

GOOD NIGHT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR FUTURE

IS.

BUT IF YOU ARE WILLING TO TAKE

THE HARDER WAY, THE MORE

COMPLICATED ONE, THE ONE WITH

MORE FAILURE AT FIRST AND THE

ONE PROVING TO HAVE MORE VICTORY

AND GLORY, THAT YOU WILL NOT

REGRET IT.

AS YOU COMMIT TO YOUR PAST,

PRESS ON WITH PRIDE AND PRESS ON

WITH PURPOSE.

GOD BLESS YOU.

I LOVE YOU HOWARD.

HOWARD FOREVER.