Local Oscar winner honors memory of ‘Black Panther’ star
Oscar- winning Dayton native Hannah Beachler remembered her friend and “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who died Friday.
Boseman, who played Black American icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before inspiring audiences worldwide as the regal Black Panther in Marvel’s blockbuster movie franchise, died after a fouryear battle with colon cancer. He was 43.
A 2005 Wright State University graduate who was raised in Centerville, Beachler took home her first Academy Award in February 2019 and became the first African American to win an Oscar for best production design. Beachler created the world of Wakanda for Marvel’s film “Black Panther.”
“I’d see Chad everyday, he’d go out of hisway to ask me, with a smile, ‘Whatmagical place did you make for me today?’ He was always uplifting us, he was our king for that year. When I’d see himat events, he’d ask, ‘They taking care of you, Sis?,’ ” Beachler tweeted on Saturday morning.
“He’d tellme tomake sure to get what I was worth. He always looked out for us, always saw us. I’m praying for his family, and hope they find solace in knowing he’s in the land of peace, he’s home now. Rest In Peace young King, your light will forever shine on us!”
Beachler managed a reported $30 million budget for “Black Panther” and was the first woman towork for Marvel as a production designer.
Born in South Carolina, Boseman graduated from Howard University and had small roles in television before his first star turn in 2013. The Associated Press reported that his portrayal of the stoic baseball star Robinson opposite Harrison Ford in 2013’s “42” drew attention in Hollywood.