The life and career of late US actor, Chadwick Boseman is set to be honoured in an upcoming Netflix documentary. Portrait of An Artist is landing on Netflix on Saturday April 17th, with a trailer featuring collaborators of Boseman available now.
"I’m Chadwick Boseman," the late star says in the teaser. "I am an artist. People call me an actor, I wouldn’t necessarily call myself an actor, I would call myself an artist."
The one-off special sees the actor discussing his career prior to his untimely death from colon cancer in August 2020. The trailer features collaborators of Boseman, including Viola Davis, Spike Lee and Danai Gurira. Davis, who starred with the late actor in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, also praise Boseman’s “extraordinary commitment to his craft”.
Davis said when you are in Boseman’s presence, “You know you have to step up”. She said the actor was always “looking at your work and he’s, like, really hyper-focused, on the craft, on the process. That’s Chad.” Denzel Washington and Spike Lee also contribute, with the latter praising the Black Panther star for having “this weight, this aura” in his acting.
Brian Helgeland, Reginald Hudlin, Aakomon “AJ” Jones, Woodie King Jr, Branford Marsalis, Andile Nebulane, Taylour Paige, Phylicia Rashad, Tate Taylor, Glynn Turman and George C Wolfe all participate in this once off special for Chad Boseman.
Boseman is currently nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars, having picked up a posthumous nomination for his role as Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. If he wins, the actor will join the likes of Peter Finch and Heath Ledger in winning a posthumous Academy Award.
His widow, Taylor Simone Ledward accepted the acclaimed actor's Golden Globe award on his behalf, which he won for best actor in a drama. Boseman died in August last year aged 43 following a private four-year battle with colon cancer. Boseman has starred in such movies like Get On Up, Black Panther, and Da 5 Bloods.
Chadwick Boseman’s collaborators invite us into a conversation about his extraordinary artistic process.
Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist Special premieres April 17. pic.twitter.com/vm0thspKNQ
— Netflix (@netflix) April 13, 2021
