Actor Chadwick Boseman was honored with a posthumous Emmy award for his role in the animated series "What If…?" on Saturday.
Boseman won the outstanding character voice-over performance category for his role as Star-Lord T’Challa in the "What If… T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?” episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was nominated in the category alongside F. Murray Abraham (Moon Knight), Julie Andrews (Bridgerton), Maya Rudolph (Big Mouth), Stanley Tucci (Central Park), Jessica Walter (Archer), and Jeffrey Wright (What If…?).
Boseman's wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted the award while delivering a speech at the 2022 Creative Arts ceremony on Saturday.
"When I learned that Chad was nominated for this award, I started thinking about everything that was going on when he was recording — everything that was going on in the world and in our world, and just being in such awe of his commitment and his dedication,” she said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"And what a beautifully aligned moment it really is that one of the last things he would work on would not only be revisiting a character that was so important to him and his career and to the world, but also that it be an exploration of something new, diving into a new potential future — particularly with everything he spoke about purpose and finding the reason that you are here on the planet on this very time."
Ledward then shared some inspiring parting words with the audience before concluding her speech.
"You can't understand your purpose unless you’re willing to ask, 'What if?' Unless you're willing to say, 'What if the universe is conspiring in my favor? What if it's me?'" she said.
"Thank you so much for the honor — Chad would be so honored, and I’m honored on his behalf," Ledward added.
Boseman died Aug. 28, 2020, at 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He did not speak publicly about the diagnosis and only a handful of friends and family members were aware he was ill.
"Chadwick did not want to have people fuss over him," longtime agent Michael Greene said of Boseman’s decision to keep his cancer under wraps, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "He was a very private person."
Boseman's trainer Addison Henderson added that the actor was determined not to let the illness interfere with his work.
"For us, it was just like, 'Let’s keep going, let's keep doing what you want to do. Let's keep training,'" Henderson said. "And then, me and [Boseman's producing partner] Logan [Coles] and his family, his wife, we were always just here to support him."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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