Chadwick honoured with Walk of Fame Star

LOS ANGELES:

'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in a ceremony attended by friends, family, and colleagues.

Director Ryan Coogler, who worked with Boseman on the 2018 blockbuster, actress Viola Davis, and Boseman's widow, Simone Ledward-Boseman, led the emotional event in the heart of Tinseltown. "Today was a beautiful day," Ledward-Boseman told AFP. "Everyone was just so full of love and joy. And we're all so proud of this person that we knew, that we shared."

Coogler remembered Boseman as an "incredibly generous" individual. "Even when he knew his days were limited, and his moments were numbered, he still gave to the art form. He still threw himself into the fire," he said.

Boseman began his career in theatre and television before moving to film. His most famous role, T'Challa/Black Panther, was introduced in 'Captain America: Civil War' (2016), and he reprised it in the standalone 'Black Panther' (2018), becoming the first Black actor to lead a major Marvel franchise.

Boseman passed away in 2020 at the age of 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer. Despite his illness, he continued working and fully committed to his craft, Coogler said. "Even though he was going through what he was going through, he would do his own stunts, he would be there for off-camera dialogue readings. It was incredible."

Davis, who starred alongside Boseman in 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' (2020), his final film, said his work "reminded us that we are less alone.

That was Chadwick, more than just an actor who you can observe on screen doing wonderful work." Disney CEO Bob Iger, actor Michael B Jordan, and Boseman's brothers, Kevin and Derrick, were also present at the ceremony.