Chadwick Aaron Boseman was an African American actor, writer and director. He played the role of several real-life historical figures, such as Jackie Robinson in 42.
He also played the famous superhero, Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. He was a renowned actor and was able to pursue his passion and became an inspiration to many.
Despite his illness, he continued to work and completed making several movies. He died on August 28, 2020, at age 43, after battling with colon cancer for four years.
In the loving memory and honor of our beloved hero and icon, here are his quotes to live.
Inspiring Chadwick Boseman Quotes
“I started out as a writer and a director. I started acting because I wanted to know how to relate to the actors. When people ask me what I do, I don’t really say that I’m an actor, because actors often wait for someone to give them roles.” Chadwick Boseman
“I’m an artist. Artists don’t need permission to work. Regardless of whether I’m acting or not, I write. I write when I’m tired in fact, because I believe your most pure thoughts surface.” Chadwick Boseman
“As an African-American actor, a lot of our stories haven’t been told.” Chadwick Boseman
“As a director, it is important to understand the actor’s process.”
Chadwick Boseman
“When you’re doing a character, you want to know the full landscape. You want to know them spiritually, mentally and physically.”Chadwick Boseman
“Guys are natural problem solvers – they like to have strategies.”
Chadwick Boseman
“Sometimes when you’re acting, you only need a little bit of something to sort of channel or, you know, transport into a place.” Chadwick Boseman
“You have to cherish things in a different way when you know the clock is ticking, you are under pressure.” Chadwick Boseman
“Every year, Hollywood is looking for that new, white leading man and new white starlet that audiences fall in love with. But they’re not looking for the next Denzel Washington, Will Smith or Sidney Poitier.” Chadwick Boseman
“People of African descent, most of us grew up accepting and loving Spider-Man. I still love Spider-Man. I still love the Incredible Hulk. I still have those characters that were white role models, superheroes, heroes – whatever you want to call it. You basically had no choice but to accept those.” Chadwick Boseman
“A superhero movie is only as great as its villains.”
Chadwick Boseman
“I remember my first agent telling me – because they found me as an actor, but I was probably more interested in writing and maybe directing – they were like, ‘Well, you can’t do both things.’ And I was like, ‘I’m gonna show you.'” Chadwick Boseman
“The only difference between a hero and the villain is that the villain chooses to use that power in a way that is selfish and hurts other people.” Chadwick Boseman
“There’s nothing more stressful than your stomach growling. But interestingly enough, some of my best writing came when I was poor and hungry – living off water and oatmeal, mind clear.” Chadwick Boseman
“I would go through these cycles of being really, really focused on work, and not being around anyone, to being around everyone. And that could be distracting. It was nothing or everything.” Chadwick Boseman
“I try to look at every role the same way, regardless of whether the character is real or the character is a fantasy. I always start from myself, because you have to know yourself first.”
Chadwick Boseman
“I was raised in a sort of village. I have a huge family, and I think there is strength in that. It helped me to deal with some of the complications of living in the South because I always felt like I belonged, no matter what.” Chadwick Boseman
“One of the first things I was taught as an actor was, ‘Don’t judge the character.'” Chadwick Boseman
“I would love to have an ocean of love right now. That said, the number-one rule of acting is, ‘Do not seek approval from the audience.’ People don’t realize that. You can’t do stuff to get applause. You have to live in the truth.” Chadwick Boseman
“I like ambiguity because you may be the villain in someone else’s story and the hero in your own, and I think very often, African-American characters are either one thing or the other. You shouldn’t have to be perfectly good or perfectly bad. You don’t even have to be magical.”Chadwick Boseman
“I got scars from every film I’ve done, every TV show.”
Chadwick Boseman
“When you play characters, you shouldn’t just be putting on their characteristics – you should be finding it inside yourself.” Chadwick Boseman
“For me, being a complete artist means not necessarily just being in front of the camera, but being behind the camera or being the originator or creator of something.” Chadwick Boseman
“We live in a world where people can ridicule you at the push of the button. They can question you at the push of a button.” Chadwick Boseman
“When you make movies, it’s such an important period of time, when you look back at each one of them. You want to be able to say that you did something that was a challenge and that changed you.” Chadwick Boseman
“Each movie you do about a real person is like a painting, and you choose certain things in the painting that you want to pull out and you want to show.” Chadwick Boseman
“I think the most stressful time of my life was when I was in New York, and I didn’t have money to pay my rent.”
Chadwick Boseman
“When they call you and say, ‘So you want to play ‘Black Panther?” if you know what ‘Black Panther’ is, there’s no way in the world you’re going to say no because there’s a lot of opportunity for magic to happen.” Chadwick Boseman
“I’m not afraid to work.” Chadwick Boseman
“People don’t want to experience change; they just want to wake up, and it’s different.” Chadwick Boseman
“The projects that I end up doing, that I want to be involved with in any way, have always been projects that will be impactful, for the most part, to my people – to black people.” Chadwick Boseman
“As soon as I came to L.A., things immediately shifted for me. I was now actually here with the people who were making the decisions; I wasn’t out in New York sending in tapes to L.A.” Chadwick Boseman
“Nobody has to give me permission to write.”
Chadwick Boseman
“You’re not free unless you can show the good and the bad, all sides of them. So to me, when I play a character, it’s important that I can show every aspect of them.” Chadwick Boseman
“The industry looks for white actors and actresses, but it’s not the same for black actors. We have to really put the work in.” Chadwick Boseman
