“They Were Doing It Because He Was Dying”

Viola Davis admits she couldn’t understand why Chadwick Boseman was being catered to while they filmed “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” unaware of his illness.

Reflecting on the experience in a recent interview with The Times, Davis confessed to feeling judgmental about Boseman’s on-set treatment.

“There was a part of me that was a little judgmental—’Why do you need all that,’” she said, recalling how his girlfriend and makeup artist would rub his back and play meditative music. “Little did I know that they were doing it because he was dying.”

Boseman, who had privately battled colon cancer, passed away in August 2020. His legacy includes a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and an Oscar nomination, cementing his place in Hollywood history. Boseman played the character Levee Green in 2020’s, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” It was released in November of that year, just months after his passing. This role earned Boseman a posthumous Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. He also won the award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards.