Michael B. Jordan pays tribute to 'big brother' Chadwick Boseman

As the world continues to mourn Chadwick Boseman, heartfelt (and heartbreaking) messages from friends and fans still stream in. News broke Friday that the actor had died at age 43 after a private four year battle with Stage III colon cancer, during which time he brought us stellar performances in Marshall, Da 5 Bloods and yes, Black Panther. On Monday, Boseman’s Black Panther co-star Michael B. Jordan posted a touching tribute for his King T’Challa.“I’ve been trying to find the words, but nothing comes close to how I feel. I’ve been reflecting on every moment, every conversation, every laugh, every disagreement, every hug…everything,” wrote Jordan in his Instagram dedication. “I wish we had more time.”

 

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I’ve been trying to find the words, but nothing comes close to how I feel. I’ve been reflecting on every moment, every conversation, every laugh, every disagreement, every hug…everything. I wish we had more time. One of the last times we spoke, you said we were forever linked , and now the truth of that means more to me than ever. Since nearly the beginning of my career, starting with All My Children when I was 16 years old you paved the way for me. You showed me how to be better, honor purpose, and create legacy. And whether you’ve known it or not…I’ve been watching, learning and constantly motivated by your greatness. I wish we had more time. Everything you’ve given the world … the legends and heroes that you’ve shown us we are … will live on forever. But the thing that hurts the most is that I now understand how much of a legend and hero YOU are. Through it all, you never lost sight of what you loved most. You cared about your family , your friends, your craft, your spirit. You cared about the kids, the community, our culture and humanity. You cared about me. You are my big brother, but I never fully got a chance to tell you, or to truly give you your flowers while you were here. I wish we had more time. I'm more aware now than ever that time is short with people we love and admire. I’m gonna miss your honesty, your generosity, your sense of humor, and incredible gifts. I’ll miss the gift of sharing space with you in scenes. I’m dedicating the rest of my days to live the way you did. With grace, courage, and no regrets. “Is this your king!?” Yes . he . is! Rest In Power Brother.

A post shared by Michael B. Jordan (@michaelbjordan) on Aug 31, 2020 at 4:47pm PDT

Jordan wrote that he regrets not telling Boseman just how much his career and friendship meant to him. “Everything you’ve given the world … the legends and heroes that you’ve shown us we are … will live on forever. But the thing that hurts the most is that I now understand how much of a legend and hero YOU are,” wrote Jordan. “Through it all, you never lost sight of what you loved most. You cared about your family, your friends, your craft, your spirit. You cared about the kids, the community, our culture and humanity. You cared about me. You are my big brother, but I never fully got a chance to tell you, or to truly give you your flowers while you were here.”Sharing pictures of the two together, Jordan expressed how influential Boseman’s career was on his own before the pair even met. “Since nearly the beginning of my career, starting with All My Children when I was 16 years old you paved the way for me,” he wrote.In 2003, Boseman was cast to play Reggie Porter—a gang member adopted by Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and Jackson Montgomery (Walt Willey)—on the long-running soap opera. In a 2019 interview, Boseman revealed that he struggled with how his racially stereotyped character was being portrayed and was fired for voicing his opinion. Jordan, who was also present for the interview and was recast in the role after Boseman was fired, said he was previously unaware of the connection.“I remember going home and thinking, ‘Do I say something to them about this? Do I just do it?’ And I couldn’t just do it,” said Boseman. “I had to voice my opinions and put my stamp on it. And the good thing about it was, it changed it a little bit. They said, ‘You are too much trouble,’ but they took my suggestions, or some of them. And for me, honestly, that’s what this is about.”[video_embed id='2025738']RELATED: Looking back on our favourite moments with Chadwick Boseman [/video_embed]Jordan added in his post that he will keep Boseman's example of living humbly and heroicly with him always. “I’m dedicating the rest of my days to live the way you did. With grace, courage, and no regrets,” wrote Jordan. He concluded by reminding us all why this hurts so much: "'Is this your king!?' Yes . he . is!  Rest In Power Brother."Tributes for Boseman have been pouring in constantly since the news was announced and the statement shared by Boseman’s representatives is now the most liked tweet in the history of the social media platform. Black Panther co-star Danai Gurira shared her own memories of the late actor over the weekend, highlighting just how important Boseman was to the global Black community who finally got to see a Black superhero lead a franchise film. “How do you honor a king?,” wrote Gurira. “He made everyone feel loved, heard and seen. He played great, iconic roles because he possessed inside of himself that connection to greatness to be able to so richly bring them to life. He had a heroic spirit, and marched to the beat of his own drum; hence his excellence as an artist and the incredible courage and determination as he faced life’s challenges; while still guiding us all.”

 

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How do you honor a king? Reeling from the loss of my colleague, my friend, my brother. Struggling for words. Nothing feels adequate. I always marveled at how special Chadwick was. Such a pure hearted, profoundly generous, regal, fun guy. My entire job as Okoye was to respect and protect a king. Honor his leadership. Chadwick made that job profoundly easy. He was the epitome of kindness, elegance, diligence and grace. On many an occasion I would think how thankful I was that he was the leading man I was working closely with. A true class act. And so perfectly equipped to take on the responsibility of leading the franchise that changed everything for Black representation. He made everyone feel loved, heard and seen. He played great, iconic roles because he possessed inside of himself that connection to greatness to be able to so richly bring them to life. He had a heroic spirit, and marched to the beat of his own drum; hence his excellence as an artist and the incredible courage and determination as he faced life’s challenges; while still guiding us all. He was zen and sweet and funny (with the very best laugh), attentive, and truly, truly, good. I can’t even wrap my mind around this loss. A loss resonating in my own heart as well as around the globe. The children he inspired, my heart aches for them, to lose their hero just as they finally found him. I am so thankful to have taken the Black Panther journey with him. To have known him, spent time in his light and leadership and to call him forever a friend. Lala Ngoxolo Kumkani.

A post shared by Danai Gurira (@danaigurira) on Aug 30, 2020 at 4:26pm PDT

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler also released a statement following Boseman’s passing, revealing that even as the pair worked closely together for years to bring King T’Challa and Wakanda to life, Coogler was unaware that Boseman was battling cancer. “He lived a beautiful life. And he made great art. Day after day, year after year. That was who he was. He was an epic firework display. I will tell stories about being there for some of the brilliant sparks till the end of my days. What an incredible mark he’s left for us.”Since his passing, Boseman has been honoured by Hollywood and beyond. LeBron James and Formula 1 race car driver Lewis Hamilton made Wakanda Forever salutes ahead of their respective sporting events on August 29. On August 30, Keke Palmer dedicated the MTV VMAs show to Boseman.[video_embed id='2025383']ICYMI: Marvel pays tribute to Chadwick Boseman with emotional video [/video_embed]