August 30, 2020, 11:27 AM
"Black Panther" actor Chadwick Boseman has died at 43 after a 4-year fight with colon cancer.
He passed away in his Los Angeles home with his wife and family by his side.
Boseman's condition was not made known to the public until then.
— Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) August 29, 2020
Tributes poured in after news of his passing spread, including one from the former President of the United States Barack Obama.
"Marshall" co-star shares late actor's final text messages in heartfelt tribute
Josh Gad, who starred with Boseman in 2017 film "Marshall", shared a short but touching tribute to the late actor.
"Marshall" is a biographical legal drama film about Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.
Breaking my twitter silence to share some beauty. This was one of my final texts from the brilliant & once-in-lifetime talent, @chadwickboseman - take this in & celebrate life. He knew how precious every moment was. Tonight the Heavens received one of its most powerful angels. pic.twitter.com/Hj8Cb1IfZS
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) August 29, 2020
In his tribute, Gad included the final text messages he had received from Boseman.
Boseman had encouraged Gad to celebrate life and what nature has to offer, while battling the illness himself.
"If you are in Los Angeles, you woke up this morning to the rare and peaceful sound of a steady precipitation. If you're like me, maybe you looked at the week's forecast and found that it's supposed to rain for three straight days; not without breaks of sunlight and reprieves of moist gloom, but yeah it's gonna be coming down like cats and dogs. Great. We're stuck inside these damn quarantines because of the Covid, and now we can't even get no sun in Cali. Come on now!
But now that the rain has stopped and today's storm has cleared, I urge you to go outside and take a DEEP breath. Notice how fresh the air is right now, after our skies have had a 3 week break from the usual relentless barage of fumes from bumper to bumper LA commuters, and now today's rain has given the City of Angels a long overdo and much-needed shower. Inhale and exhale this moment, and thank God for the unique beauties and wonders of this day. We should take advantage of every moment we can to enjoy the simplicity of God's creation, whether it be clear skies and sun or clouded over with gloom. And hey, if the air is this clear right now, and it does rain tomorrow, I might even put jars and bins out and catch the rain. Throw that in the water filter and I have a water more alkaline than any bottle brand out there."
Describing Boseman as a "brilliant and once-in-a-lifetime talent, Gad said:
"He knew how precious every moment was. Tonight the Heavens received one of its most powerful angels."
Diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016
The post revealed that Boseman was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer back in 2016.
He battled the cancer for four years as it progressed to stage four.
"A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much," his family said in a statement.
Boseman had also filmed many films such as "Marshall", "Da 5 Bloods" and more "during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy."
His role as King T'Challa in Black Panther was described as the honour of his career.
The film was the first superhero film to get a nomination for best picture — and six other awards — at the Oscars.
Top image via Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
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