Viola Davis recently revealed she privately judged Chadwick Boseman during Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom filming, only to later discover her co-star was secretly battling terminal cancer.
Hollywood is full of stories that make us rethink everything we thought we knew. Viola Davis just shared one of those moments, and it’s heartbreaking.
In a recent interview with TIME, the Oscar-winning actress shared her thoughts on her last collaboration with the late actor in 2020. The two appeared together in the Netflix film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” for which Boseman received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. The filming for this project occurred during the summer of 2019, at a time when the “Black Panther” star was deeply engaged in his fight against colon cancer.
Viola Davis, who portrayed blues vocalist Ma Rainey in the film, remembered observing Boseman getting ready on set for his role as Levee Green, the charismatic trumpeter in Ma’s band.
The 59-year-old actress reminisced about how Boseman’s girlfriend and makeup artist massaged his back and played calming music while they were on the set of his last film.
“There was a part of me that was a little judgmental, like, why do you need all that?” Davis said. “Little did I know that they were doing it because he was dying.”
Those who worked with Boseman during his final years have shared similar stories. He kept his illness a secret from nearly everyone in Hollywood, choosing to carry the weight of his battle privately. His decision made his passing in August 2020 at just 43 years old even more shocking to the world.
Chad Boseman passed away in August 2020 at the age of 43 due to colon cancer. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which depicted one of blues singer Ma Rainey’s recording sessions in Chicago during the 1920s, was released three months after Boseman’s death. For his role as Levee Green, Boseman earned a posthumous nomination for an Oscar.
Boseman is recognized for his portrayal of King T’Challa in the Marvel movie Black Panther and for his performances as various historical figures, such as Jackie Robinson in 42, Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, and James Brown in Get On Up.
Viola Davis also honored Boseman in her mind during her acceptance speech for the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress for her performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, expressing gratitude to the late playwright August Wilson and the “wonderful Chadwick Boseman.”
