I misjudged Chadwick Boseman before knowing about illness – Viola Davis

Award-winning actress Viola Davis has opened up about her initial misunderstanding of Chadwick Boseman’s behavior while filming Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, admitting she was unaware of the private health battle he was fighting.

In an interview with The Times published Friday, Davis reflected on working with Boseman in the 2020 film—his final role before his passing. She recalled noticing the extra care he received on set, including back rubs from his girlfriend and meditative music played for him. Initially, she questioned why he needed such attention.

“There was a part of me that was a little judgmental—why do you need all that? Little did I know that they were doing it because he was dying,” Davis admitted.

At the time of filming in the summer of 2019, Boseman was privately battling stage IV colon cancer. His diagnosis, which he had never made public, had progressed from stage III since 2016. On August 28, 2020, he tragically passed away at the age of 43.

Following his death, Davis praised Boseman’s dedication to his craft, describing him as a “beautiful man and artist” with an exceptional commitment to acting.

“He had a quality that very few have today, whether young or old, which is a total commitment to the art form of acting—regardless of ego, regardless of any of it,” she said.