Denzel Washington Says He Could Tell Something Was Wrong While Chadwick Boseman Was Making "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"

4 years ago 5

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You know Denzel Washington — and you might know that he produced last year's excellent Oscar-nominated film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

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The film was also Chadwick Boseman's final performance before succumbing to colon cancer in 2020.

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In an interview with Variety, Washington talked about how he didn't know Boseman was dealing with his illness while on set — but he could tell he was not feeling great at times.

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"A man among men," Washington said of Boseman's performance. "He suffered quietly. He made the movie, and nobody knew. I didn't know."

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"He never said a peep about it. He just did his job."

David Lee / Netflix / courtesy Everett Collection

"I wondered if something was wrong because he seemed weak or tired sometimes," Washington admitted. "We had no idea, and it was nobody's business. Good for him, keeping it to himself."

David Lee / Netflix / courtesy Everett Collection

Read the entire interview here.

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