Chadwick Boseman was an American actor known for his portrayals of Jackie Robinson in '42' and James Brown in 'Get on Up.' He also played the superhero Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Who Was Chadwick Boseman?
Chadwick Boseman had early success as a stage actor, writer and director, before landing gigs on TV shows like Lincoln Heights. Boseman broke through with his big screen portrayals of two African American icons: baseball player Jackie Robinson in 42, and soul singer James Brown in Get on Up. Boseman later took on the role of Black Panther for a series of Marvel superhero films, including the immensely successful Black Panther in early 2018.
Early Life and Career
Chadwick Aaron Boseman was born in 1976 in South Carolina and went on to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in directing. (In 2018, he gave the commencement speech at Howard and received an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters.) He then attended the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England.
Boseman has performed in a number of stage productions, including Breathe, Romeo and Juliet, Bootleg Blues, Zooman, and Willie's Cut and Shine. He won an AUDELCO award for his role as the teen E.J. in 2002's Urban Transitions: Loose Blossoms, a play by Ron Milner about a struggling African American family pulled in by the temptation of fast cash. He's also worked as part of the Hip Hop Theatre Festival and has written the plays Hieroglyphic Graffiti, Deep Azure and Rhyme Deferred. Additionally, he has directed a number of stage productions, as well as the short film Blood Over a Broken Pawn.
