Michael B. Jordan and late friend Chadwick Boseman received separate but special career milestones on the same day.
On Thursday, November 20, Boseman posthumously received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame while Jordan received the American Cinematheque Award later that evening.
“That was something special. Who could have planned it any better? For me to start the morning paying respects and honoring Chadwick Boseman, and to have this honor for myself on the same day,” Jordan, 38, said in an interview with Access Hollywood on Thursday. “I wouldn’t want to share with anyone else, man.”
Boseman and Jordan formed a friendship after they starred in the 2018 Marvel movie Black Panther. After starring in the superhero film, Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer and privately battled the illness for four years before his death in August 2020. He was 43 years old.
The Sinners actor told the outlet he was “full of grace and gratitude” to be recognized by people he looks up to.
Earlier that day, Jordan attended Boseman’s Walk of Fame ceremony alongside Viola Davis, Letitia Wright and Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger. Chadwick’s widow, Simone Ledward-Boseman, paid tribute to her late husband.
“In life, Chad was more than an actor, or even an artist,” Simone told the crowd. “He was a spiritual teacher, fortified by a family and close friends that kept him grounded in faith; a team that believed in him, protected him and fought for him. Colleagues that trusted his vision, that lifted him up and forged a real brotherhood: you have no idea how pivotal those moments were.”
Simone added that Chadwick was not only a talented actor but a role model that many looked up to.
“We recognize your skill and your devotion, and we cement your legacy as a hero and an icon,” she continued. “You lived with honor, and you walked with truth. You were as brilliant as you were beautiful as you were kind. We love you, we miss you, we thank you.”
Black Panther director Ryan Coogler also gave an emotional speech.
“This is something that people who maybe played ice hockey with Wayne Gretzky can attest to, people who played basketball with Michael Jordan can attest to: there’s something special about being that close to somebody that great,” Coogler, 39, said in his speech while fighting back tears. “You realize how much you don’t measure up, but you also realize how much the human body is capable of. Chad showed that every day.”
This was not the first time Chadwick has been honored since his passing. Months after his death, the actor received a posthumous Oscar nomination for his role as Levee Green in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in 2021. Chadwick lost to Anthony Hopkins, for his role in The Father.
Jordan has kept Chackwick’s memory with him in many ways. Earlier this year, Jordan opened up about how his late friend inspired his process for getting into his Sinners character.
“I remember we were doing a camera test early on, when I was still finding my way into the characters, and Coog reminded me of what Chad did with T’Challa [in Black Panther] — how he really leaned into that character and embodied him throughout the shoot,” said Jordan in an April interview with The New York Times. “I said, ‘Say no more,’ and from then on, the performance was done in that light.”
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