Chadwick Boseman’s legacy lives on in so many ways, and now, that includes a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Just days ahead of what would have been Boseman’s 49th birthday, the Black Panther star was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This honor comes five years after he passed away at age 43 following a private battle with colon cancer.
All of the people closest to the actor were in attendance at the ceremony, including his wife Simone Ledward-Boseman, who brought a piece of her late husband to the unveiling ceremony. During the event on Nov. 20, Simone placed a pair of Chadwick’s shoes on his star so that he could “step” on the memorial alongside her and his brothers, Derrick Boseman and Kevin Boseman. The family also brought a framed picture of the late actor.
Chadwick’s Black Panther costars Michael B. Jordan and Letitia Wright attended the ceremony, while the Marvel movie’s director Ryan Coogler and Boseman’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom costar Viola Davis spoke at the podium. Davis stepped up to speak first, opening up about how much of Boseman’s energy still lives on with her.
“I have to believe that Chadwick is still alive. I can’t use the word gone or death, really,” Davis began, per Entertainment Weekly. “When thinking about him, it’s like the quote, ‘When the last person who has a memory of you [dies] that’s when you’ll truly be dead.’”
She went on to praise Boseman for making art that “reminded us that we are less alone.”
“I thank him for what he left behind in me, which is a burning amber that always guides me to a higher meaning of my work and my purpose,” Davis said. “This star, as beautiful as it is on the Walk of Fame, shines a whole lot less brighter than Chadwick does in heaven.”
The actress was followed by Coogler, who emotionally recounted the evolution of his relationship with Chadwick over the years.
“Chad felt thousands of years old. He was that calm and that wise,” Coogler said per EW of meeting the actor. “It was a very unnerving feeling to be around. Our first time together, we were completely alone. He somehow snuck into a hotel room I was in during a massive press tour for Creed. It was crawling with press, but he got by all of them for us to have a one-on-one meeting to talk about working together on Black Panther.”
The director said when he asked Boseman how he pulled it off, the actor smiled and said, “That was the Panther.”
Simone—who privately tied the knot with Chadwick months before his death—also spoke to the crowd, speaking on the legacy her husband left behind.
“Chad was more than an actor or even an artist,” she began “He was a spiritual teacher fortified by family; 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. Thank you.”
Ledward-Boseman continued, “Chad taught all of us a great deal. His heart was so vast he could give each and every person a specific part of him and still have so much left to share with the world.”
As she reflected on his “lifetime of artistry,” Simone went on to address Chadwick directly, saying she still feels his presence every day.
“We recognize your skill and your devotion, and we submit your legacy as a hero and an icon,” she said. “You lived with honor and you walked in truth. You are as brilliant as you were beautiful and as courageous as you were kind. We love you. We miss you. We thank you.”
Watch the ceremony, in full, down below:
