Why Ryan Coogler Says Chadwick Boseman “Freaked Out” Disney Execs While Filming ‘Black Panther’

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Ryan Coogler is looking back at how seriously the late Chadwick Boseman took his work as an actor.

The director of “Black Panther”, who has recently worked on the movie “Sinners” with Michael B. Jordan, recently spoke on the radio show “The Breakfast Club”. During the interview, he was questioned, “What about Chadwick Boseman’s performance made you respond differently than you did with Michael B. Jordan?

Among all my cast members, Chad’s passing affected Mike the most, Coogler said. “Chad was older than both of us, quite a bit older, even though he seemed about the same age,” he explained. “He was a well-seasoned man from the South. He was an old-school gentleman, and compared to him, when we worked together, Mike and I were still youngsters.”

Or:

Coogler stated that Chad’s death impacted Mike the most among all his cast members. “Chad was older than us, significantly so, despite appearing the same age,” he clarified. “He was a fully-developed man from the South. He was an old-school kind of guy, and compared to him, when we worked together, Mike and I were just kids.”

Or:

Coogler shared that Chad’s death had the most profound effect on Mike among all his fellow actors. “Chad was older than us, much older, although he appeared about the same age,” Coogler stated. “He was a completely matured man from the South. He was an old-school gentleman, and compared to him, when we worked together, Mike and I were still quite young.

The filmmaker spoke highly of Boseman, who tragically passed away in 2020 at the age of 43 after a tough fight against colon cancer. He shared, “Chad impacted my life significantly. He was an exceptional teacher, one you didn’t realize was imparting knowledge because it was all through his actions and the wisdom he bestowed upon Michael and me. Patience was something he instilled in us. He approached work at a leisurely, old-school pace, taking his time with every detail. He was always punctual. If you ask Mike, he’ll confirm this – I once asked him, ‘What would Chad do in this role for the movie Sinners? If he had this role, how would he approach it?’ because Chad never rushed through a scene.

Later, Coogler reminisced about the late actor who completely embraced his role as T’Challa during the filming of Black Panther. He even maintained T’Challa’s accent all the way through until the movie was fully produced.

The director clarified, “He spoke with an African-inspired tone.” During the filming of ‘Panther,’ high-ranking Disney officials visited us. It was the second week, and when they arrived, they were startled to hear the T’Challa character speaking in this manner. I reassured them, “‘Don’t be alarmed. He’s working diligently. He maintains this character until we finish filming.’ There was no need for embarrassment or shame in that, but that’s how he performed.

Coogler mentioned that working alongside Boseman during the production of Black Panther and acting opposite him allowed Jordan, who portrayed Erik Killmonger in the 2018 blockbuster, to become fully immersed in his twin roles for Sinners, which debuted on April 18.

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2025-04-10 07:54