Chadwick Boseman experienced an emotional moment on the set of his final film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, as the movie’s director, George C. Wolfe, recalled to WSJ Magazine. During the interview, Wolfe opened up about how one particular scene from the film, in which Boseman portrays trumpet player Levee, turned poignant for the late actor. It was originally reported in August that Boseman died following a battle with colon cancer. He was 43.
The scene in question involves Levee battling Colman Domingo’s Cutler for being a man of faith. Their back and forth ends with an emotional monologue that sees Levee looking up to the skies and challenging “Cutler’s God.” Wolfe said about the scene, “We were doing it in a very casual way, and I assumed that when Levee got to the big speech that Chadwick was going to stop. But he didn’t stop. He kept going, and Levee took over—it was raw and explosive. Afterwards, Chadwick just started to sob, and Colman hugged him, and then Chadwick’s girlfriend basically picked him up.” Boseman was dating Taylor Simone Ledward at the time of filming. Although, the two later wed at some point prior to the Black Panther star’s death.
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Boseman’s co-star, Domingo, also recalled his time with the late star while on the set of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. He said, “I could tell with Chad sometimes, he had something on his mind. He’d walk into a room and he wouldn’t speak to anyone.” At one point, Domingo jokingly confronted the actor by saying, “Oh, you’re just not going to say hi to anybody?” Domingo said that Boseman smiled after he made the joke. The late actor then made it a point to shake Domingo’s hand and give him a hug every day on set.
In late August, Boseman’s team confirmed that the actor passed away after a lengthy battle with colon cancer. He was reportedly diagnosed with colon cancer about four years prior to his death, but he chose to keep his battle with the illness private. His team said in a statement, “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more – all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”
