>>> GET ME UP.
>>> GET ME UP.
>> THAT IS CHADWICK BOSEMAN
PLAYING JACKIE ROBINSON IN THE
2013 FILM "42."
HIS FIRST STARRING ROLE IN A
MOVIE.
CHADWICK DIED AT HOME FRIDAY,
FOUR YEARS AFTER HE WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH COLON CANCER.
ALMOST NO ONE KNEW HE WAS SICK,
INCLUDING ACTORS HE WORKED WITH
ON MOVIES HE STARRED IN DURING
THAT TIME.
SO THE SHOCKING NEWS OF HIS
DEATH STRUCK LIKE A LIGHTNING
BOLT.
I FIRST MET AND INTERVIEWED
CHADWICK IN 2014 ON THE JACKSON,
MISSISSIPPI SET OF THE FILM "GET
ON UP" WHERE HE PLAYED JAMES
BROWN.
MICK JAGGER WAS THERE THAT DAY
PRAISING BOSEMAN AS A STAR.
THE WORLD SAW IT WHEN HE BECAME
A GLOBAL PHENOMENON GROSSING
$1.3 BILLION AT THE BOX OFFICE.
CHADWICK AND I GOT TOGETHER A
COUPLE WEEKS AFTER THAT MOVIE
OPENED AS HIS LIFE WAS CHANGING
QUICKLY.
AS WE WATCH, CONSIDERING WHAT WE
DID NOT KNOW AT THAT TIME, HE
WAS FACING COLON CANCER IN THE
MIDDLE OF THAT BLACK PANTHER"
WEURL WIND.
>> THANK YOU, JACKIE.
>> WHAT ARE YOU THANKING ME FOR?
>> ON SCREEN, CHADWICK BOSEMAN
WALKED IN THE SHOES OF GIANTS.
>> EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE
LAW.
>> Reporter: SOMETIMES HE DANCED
IN THEM TOO.
HE BROUGHT TO LIFE A SUPER HERO
OF BLACK POWER.
AND WE KNOW NOW HE DID SO WHILE
FIGHTING FOR HIS OWN LIFE.
THE ACTING THAT SUSTAINED
BOSEMAN BEGAN BACK IN HIGH
SCHOOL AS A COPING MECHANISM
AFTER THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A
CLASSMATE
CLASSMATE.
>> YOUR CREATIVE CAREER AND
CAREER ON STAGE WAS BORN OUT OF
TRAGEDY IN HIGH SCHOOL.
>> RIGHT.
I DON’T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT
TOO MUCH.
BUT BASICALLY I WROTE A PLAY IN
APPROXIMATE RESPONSE TO IT.
IT WASN’T ABOUT HIS DEATH BUT
MORE SO ME TRYING TO DEAL WITH
WHAT HAPPENED.
SO IT WAS I GUESS A HEALING
PROCESS.
THAT WAS REALLY THE FIRST TIME
THAT I KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO
CREATE A STORY, BE ON STAGE, AND
DELIVER SOMETHING AND HAVE AN
AUDIENCE RESPOND TO IT IN A WAY
THAT WAS MEANINGFUL.c6
>> RARELY HAVE AUDIENCES
RESPONDED TO ANYTHING THE WAY
THEY DID TO MARVEL’S "BLACK
PANTHER".
>> SHOWOFF!
>> AS THEIów TITLE CHARACTER,
BOSEMAN WAS THE FACE OF THE
BILLION DOLLAR SENSATION WHOSE
IMPACT WENT FAR BEYOND THE BOX
OFFICE.
>> SO YOU ARE RIGHT NOW RIDING
THIS CRAZY TIDAL WAVE.
WE’RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT
RIGHT NOW.
.
>> YEAH.
>> WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE ON IT?
>> LITERALLY EVERY PLACE I GO TO
IS A NEW EXPERIENCE RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW, JUST LAST NIGHT WE
WERE IN HARLEM.
THERE WAS A COMMUNITY SCREENING.
AND I WASN’T -- I DIDN’T SNEAK
INSIDE THAT SCREENING AND WATCH
IT.
I DID SEE THE RESPONSE TO IT.
IT’S MUSICAL.
IT’S WHAT YOU USUALLY SEE WITH A
ROCK STAR.
I HESITATE TO SAY IT IS LIKE THE
BEATLES BUT IT FELT LIKE THAT.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE
RESPONDING TO EXACTLY?
THERE IS SOME OTHER DIMENSION TO
THIS.
>> I THINK THERE IS A THIRST FOR
THESE IMAGES.
THERE IS A THIRST FOR A BLACK
SUPER HERO.
AS FAR AS MY CHARACTER GOES,
THERE IS A REAL SEARCH FOR HOW
DO I LEAD.
AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING
FOR THAT.
LEADERS THAT ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT
THE PEOPLE.
>> I GIVE TO YOU THE BLACK PAN
PANTHER.
>> BOSEMAN WAS JOINED IN THE FIRST OF ITS KIND FILM BY ANGELA
FIRST OF ITS KIND FILM BY ANGELA BASSET, LUPITA KNEE ONGO AND
BASSET, LUPITA KNEE ONGO AND
MICHAEL B. JORDAN AND FOREST
WHEUS
WHITAKER.
>> WHY DO YOU THINK HOLLYWOOD
HASN’T MADE THIS MOVIE UNTIL
2019?
>> PART OF IT IS PEOPLE DO WITH
WHAT WORKS.
I FEEL LIKE IT’S LAZY IN A WAY.
ANY TIME PEOPLE WOULD SAY TO ME,
WELL, YOU KNOW, A MOVIE WITH A
BLACK LEAD WON’T WORK
INTERNATIONALLY, I ALWAYS SAID
THAT MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN IT HAPPEN.
WE HAVE SEEN WILL SMITH DO
NUMBERS.
WE HAVE SEEN THE SUCCESS OF
DENZEL WASHINGTON.
BUT SOMEHOW THE INDUSTRY GOES
BACK TO ITS OLD FORMS.
SO LUCKILY NOW WE HAVE PEOPLE IN
PLACE THAT CAN CHANGE SOME OF
THOSE THINGS.
>> QAAWAKANDA IS A SMALL TOWN AW
FROM WHERE BOSEMAN GREW UP.
HE FOLLOWED THE STAGE AT HOWARD
UNIVERSITY, THE HISTORIC BLACK
COLLEGE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
WHERE HE MAJORED AND DIRECTED.
>> I WAS MORE WORRIED ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, IS THIS PERSON GOING TO
COME OUT FOR THEIR CUE ON TIME?
IS THAT LIGHT ON?
I NEVER REALLY SAW MYSELF DOING
THIS.
I NEVER REALLY SAW MYSELF BEING
ON STAGE OR BEING IN FRONT OF
THE CAMERA.
>> AT HOWARD, HE MET COSBY SHOW
ACTRESS PHYLICIA RASHAD WHO
BECAME HIS MENTOR.
WHEN HE COULD NOT AFFORD TO GO
HE ASKED A FAMOUS FRIEND TO
HELP.
>> I ACTUALLY GOT A LETTER WHEN
I CAME BACK AND SAID THIS IS
YOUR BENEFICIARY.
AND THE PERSON WHO PAID FOR ME
WAS DENZEL WASHINGTON.
I WAS LIKE, OH, MY GOSH, I HAVE
TO WRITE HIM AND THANK HIM.
>> HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO MEET
HIM AND TELL HIM THAT STORY?
>> I HAVE.
DURING THE NEW YORK PREMIERE HE
CAME AND SAID I HAVEN’T MET YOU
YET.
AND I SAID, YEAH, I HAVE
SOMETHING TO TELL YOU.
>> WHAT’S THAT MOMENT LIKE TO
MEET HIM?
>> IT’S SO MUCH.
I DON’T EVEN WANT TO GO THERE.
>> TOO MUCH?
.
>> IT’S JUST TOO MUCH.
IT WAS AMAZING.
HE’S EVERYTHING YOU THINK HE
WOULD BE.
THAT’S ALL I’M GOING TO GO.
>> YOU’RE STILL PROCESSING IT.
>> I’M STILL PROCESSING IT,
YEAH.
>> BEFORE "BLACK PANTHER",
BOSEMAN WAS KNOWN BEST AS THE
LEAD MAN IN PIEEO PICK PICS,
PLAYING JACKIE ROBINSON IN "42."
THE GODFATHER OF SOUL JAMES
BROWN IN "GET ON UP" AND MOST
RECENTLY FORMER SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE THURGOOD MARSHALL.
>> I CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU HOW
MANY BIOPICS CAME IN.
YOU’RE LIKE, WHOA, HIM, TOO?
THESE ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT I
NEED TO TAKE ON AT THIS
PARTICULAR TIME.
>> IN THE FOUR YEARS AFTER HIS
DIAGNOSIS OF COLON CANCER,
BOSEMAN MADE FOUR MARVEL MOVIES
AND STARTED IN RECENT RELEASES
LIKE "21 BRIDGES" AND SPIKE
LEE’S FIVE BLOODS.
TODAY HE IS HAILED AS A
REAL-LIFE HERO AND INSPIRATION
TO THOSE WHO WILL ONE DAY WALK
IN HIS SHOES.
>> IS IT A HUMBLING AND CRAZY
THING FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT YOUR
EARLY DAYS IN ANDERSON, SOUTH
CAROLINA, AND SEE WHERE YOU ARE
RIGHT NOW TODAY?
>> NO MORE CAN BE MORE HUMBLING
THAN THAT.
MAINLY BECAUSE IT’S NOT
SOMETHING THAT AS A KID THERE I
WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WOULD BE
POSSIBLE.
WHAT I LOVE NOW IS THAT THERE
ARE LITTLE KIDS NOW WHO LIVE
THERE WHO ARE LIKE, YEAH, I
COULD GO TO HOLLYWOOD AND BECOME
A MOVIE STAR.
AND THAT’S, YOU KNOW, THAT’S A
VERY, VERY EMOTIONAL THING TO
EVEN CONSIDER THAT YOU HAVE A
PART IN THAT.
>> I FEEL SO LUCKY JUST TO HAVE
HAD THAT TIME WITH HIM.
WHAT A ROLE MODEL THE KIDS HAVE
IN CHADWICK BOSEMAN.
WE ACCEPTED OUR LOVE TO HIS
