The Story Of How Denzel Washington Anonymously Paid For Chadwick Boseman To Attend Oxford Theater Program Over 20 Years Ago
ByMarvin Juleson August 29, 2020inArticles›Celebrity News
In an incredibly divisive world where no one can seem to get along on any issue, can we all agree that Chadwick Boseman left this planet wayyyy wayyyy too soon. He was an incredible actor, and by all accounts seemed to be an incredible person. Boseman blew audiences away in every role he took, from " Jackie Robinson " to James Brown in “Get on Up” to “Black Panther” . One of the best anecdotes about Chadwick was the fact that the world would likely have never heard his name without a randomact of kindness from Denzel Washington 20 years ago.
Boseman studied at Howard University in the late 90s. While he attended the historically black college, he and some of his fellow students decided to apply to a theater program at The University of Oxford in England. Boseman and his fellow classmates got in, but couldn’t afford to attend to go. That’s when his acting teacher and mentor, The Cosby Show’s Phylicia Rashad , decided to step in.
Rashad pulled out all the stops. As Chadwick told Rolling Stone, she “pushed for us,” and that “she essentially got some celebrity friends to pay for us to go.”
(Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney)
After Boseman finished up the program, he received a beneficiary letter and figured out who paid for him to attend. To his shock and amazement, it was Denzel Washington .
Chadwick wrote Washington a thank you letter to Denzel, but never gave it to him, and never told anyone else about what happened for over 20 years.
The random act of kindness came to light back in 2019 while Boseman was on The Tonight Show. Chadwick explained to Jimmy Fallon that he has “basically been holding this secret [his] whole career,” because he didn’t want Washington to feel like he owed him anything else. He said that he wanted to meet him in person before saying anything, but after 20 years he felt like it would be okay to reveal it to the world.
Chadwick did finally get to meet Washington at the New York premiere of Black Panther. According to Boseman, meeting Denzel some 20 years later was an “amazing” experience.
The Black Panther star said that when they met, he thanked Washington for paying for his Oxford experience over two decades ago. In response, Washington replied in jest, “Oh, so that’s why I’m here. You owe me money! I came to collect!”
Here’s a video of Chadwick paying tribute to Denzel and the power of paying it forward from the 2019 AFI Life Achievement Award:
Some of my favorite lines:
" Let he who has watered, be watered. Let he who has given, be given to. "
" May God bless you exceedingly and abundantly more in what’s in store, than he ever has before. "
If you have some time, check how Chadwick’s Howard University commencement speech from 2018. Rest in peace Chadwick. Gone too soon.
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ByJoseph Gibsonon February 22, 2019inArticles›Entertainment
Marvel is preparing to debut its first big screen standalone female superhero next month, and there are a lot of eyes and ears on the project that come with their own pressures to get it right. They spent a reported $5 million to get Brie Larson to play Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel , which is a break from the company’s usual practice of getting stars fairly cheap for their first movies. How cheap? Take a look at what these five now mega-stars made in their first Marvel joints.
Chris Hemsworth: $150,000 in 2011 for Thor
Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
Chris Hemsworth may be a huge superstar now, earning about $15 million a picture since Thor’s most recent solo outing in Thor: Ragnarok, but when he was first cast as the Thunder God back in 2011, it was more for his ability to play the part than any name or face recognition. Talent is cheap compared to those qualities, so Marvel was able to secure him for just $150,000.
Robert Downey Jr: $500,000 in 2008 for Iron Man
Ian Gavan/Getty Images
Even RDJ , whose continuing contract with Marvel has made him one of the very highest-paid movie stars of all time, was a cheap get for the studio, despite his long and illustrious Hollywood career up to that point. The film’s surprise blockbuster success and Downey’s continued involvement in Marvel’s “cinematic universe” since then has completely changed that, though, and now he can pull in $80 million for Avengers: Age of Ultron or $10 million for what’s basically a glorified cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Chris Evans : $1 Million in 2011 for Captain America: First Avenger
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Evans was quite a bit more famous than fellow Chris, Chris Hemsworth, when it came time for his superhero debut in 2011, and he got a seven-figure paycheck as a reflection of that. Now, they’re both sitting together at about $15 million a picture.
Chadwick Boseman: $2 Million in 2018 for Black Panther
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Boseman did pretty well for himself last year, scoring a reported $2 million to play T’Challa in Black Panther. But now, following the massive commercial and cultural success of that film, he’s sure to make much more for the sequel.
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