Chadwick Boseman broke down in tears talking about young Black Panther fans with terminal cancer in a clip that resurfaced in the wake of the late actor’s death on Friday, August 28.
The clip is from Boseman’s 2018 SiriusXM interview with Sway Calloway where he described his relationship with two young boys named Ian and Taylor, who had been diagnosed with cancer. The 21 Bridges star was told that the fans were “holding out” for the release of Black Panther.
“It’s a humbling experience because you’re like, ‘This can’t mean that much to them,’ you know?” Boseman said at the time. “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.”
This 2018 clip of Chadwick Boseman getting emotional about the impact Black Panther had on two little kids with terminal cancer is especially heartbreaking, knowing now that he was fighting the same fight. RIP. pic.twitter.com/5giV543c8L
— Chicks in the Office (@ChicksInTheOff) August 29, 2020
The South Carolina native tearfully recalled when he learned the boys died before the film’s release.
“And when I found that they …” Boseman said as his Black Panther costars Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira comforted him. “So yeah, it means a lot.”
Fans noted the interview holds more meaning after learning that he was also battling cancer at that time.
“Knowing now that he was diagnosed in 2016 gives this moment so much more weight and significance,” one person tweeted. “We were blessed to have a man with such a big heart for the time he was with us. Long live the King.”
Another fan posted a GIF of Boseman as T’Challa in Black Panther writing, “That’s what a legacy is.”
Boseman’s family announced on Friday that the Marvel star had died after secretly battling colon cancer for four years. He was 43.
“It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman,” his publicist confirmed in a statement to Us Weekly. “Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016 and battled with it these last four years as it progressed to stage IV. A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson‘s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther. He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.”
Listen to Us Weekly’s Hot Hollywood as each week the editors of Us break down the hottest entertainment news stories!