Chadwick Boseman has finally earned his spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
According to ABC 7, the late actor received a posthumous star on the landmark, an honor that gathered his friends and family for an emotional ceremony honoring the late actor’s life and work, on Thursday. Several of Boseman’s former co-stars and collaborators were in attendance, including Ryan Coogler, Viola Davis, Letitia Wright and others.
Read on for more about the ceremony and how those close to Boseman remember the late actor.
Coogler described Boseman as ‘our most incredible jewel’
Many of Boseman’s co-stars shared tributes to the late actor during the ceremony. Coogler, who worked with the actor on the 2018 Marvel film Black Panther, recalled his physical strength and described him as “our most incredible jewel.”
“There’s something special about being that close to somebody that great. You realize how much you don’t measure up, but you also realize how much a human body is capable of,” he said, ABC 7 reported. “Chad showed that every day. And his generosity extended to, the fact that 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.”
Davis, who starred in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom with Boseman in 2020, recalled how he “channeled the divine.”
“Chadwick was a mighty, mighty elixir that sort of stirred up that alchemy that we’re all in search of, which is meaning,” the Oscar winner said, per ABC 7.
She added, “I celebrate him today, and I say to him, I hoped all the angels in heaven just sang him to a beautiful rest. And I thank him for what he left behind in me, which is a burning ember that always guides me to a higher meaning of my work and my purpose.”
Boseman’s family also remembered the late actor during the ceremony. Boseman’s wife, Simone Ledward Boseman, reflected on who he was off-screen.
“In life, Chad was more than an actor, or even an artist, he was a spiritual teacher, fortified by a family and close friends that kept him grounded in faith,” she said, according to ABC 7.
She 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.”
Boseman’s brothers, Derrick Boseman and Kevin Bosema,n also attended the ceremony.
Nyong’o told Variety the location of Boseman’s star is aptly fit for a ‘king’
Ahead of the ceremony, Nyong’o opened up to Variety about the cosmic placement of Boseman’s monument near the Dolby Theatre, where Black Panther held its premiere.
“It means it won’t be missed. A place of prominence for a king,” she told the outlet.
Nyong’o later reflected on Boseman’s “spirit,” which she said seemed “almost invincible.”
“I think that’s what really shattered so many of our hearts because it hadn’t occurred to me that Chadwick could die,” she said.
The Us star also recalled the “charmed time” she and Boseman had while making Black Panther, but also discussed how it was hard work. She said Boseman was up for the challenge.
“He was a learner. He was observant. He rolled up his sleeves and did the work, and he was very generous,” she told Variety of how they practiced the Wakandans’ Xhosa dialect in the Marvel film. “He wasn’t coasting through. He was finding it as much as we were, and he was doing it elegantly, of course, but he would blunder. So, you’re seeing a great person at work, but he doesn’t stop being human.” After a pause, Nyong’o added, “He never stopped being human.”