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Late actor’s widow Simone Ledward-Boseman and collaborators Ryan Coogler and Viola Davis give emotional tributes
Shahana YasminFriday 21 November 2025 09:07 GMTComments
open image in galleryPortrait of Chadwick Boseman is displayed during a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star ceremony in Los Angeles (AFP via Getty)
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Chadwick Boseman has been honoured with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, five years after the actor died aged 43.
The star was unveiled on 20 November on Hollywood Boulevard in a ceremony attended by his widow Taylor Simone Ledward-Boseman and several long-time collaborators, including Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom co-star Viola Davis.
Ledward-Boseman accepted the honour on her late husband’s behalf, describing him as “more than an actor, or even an artist”.
“In life, Chad was more than an actor, or even an artist. He was a spiritual teacher, fortified by a family and close friends that kept him grounded in faith; a team that believed in him, protected him and fought for him. Colleagues that trusted his vision, that lifted him up and forged a real brotherhood: you have no idea how pivotal those moments were,” she said.
“Chad, today we recognise a lifetime of artistry. We recognise your skill and your devotion, and we cement your legacy as a hero and an icon. You lived with honour, and you walked with truth. You were as brilliant as you were beautiful as you were kind. We love you, we miss you, we thank you.”
During the unveiling, Ledward-Boseman placed a pair of Boseman’s shoes beside the star.
open image in galleryTaylor Simone Ledward-Boseman accepted the honour on her late husband’s behalf (Getty)
open image in galleryAlso present at the ceremony were Boseman’s brothers Kevin and Derrick (Getty)
open image in galleryBoseman’s widow placed a pair of his shoes beside the star (AFP via Getty)Davis, who worked with Boseman in his final film, delivered an impassioned tribute that moved the crowd.
“I have to believe that Chadwick is still alive. I can't use the word gone or death, really. When thinking about him, it's like the quote, ‘When the last person who has a memory of you [dies] that’s when you’ll truly be dead,’” she said.
Boseman died in 2020 after a private four-year battle with colon cancer.
The Help star remembered a conversation with the late actor when she told him that she struggled with her own identity.
“What I do is I carry my djembe drum everywhere I go. I don't care if it gets in the way of luggage. I don't care if I have to argue with the airline stewardess of where I'm gonna put it. I need my drum,” she said Boseman at the ceremony.
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“It was more than just a sound, it was more than just music, it resounded through the entire soundstage and he would play it fervently. Chadwick, you channeled the divine. You were a conduit. I thank him for what he left behind in me, which is a burning amber that always guides me to a higher meaning of my work and my purpose. This star, as beautiful as it is on the Walk of Fame, shines a whole lot less brighter than Chadwick does in heaven.”
open image in galleryViola Davis, who worked with Boseman in his final film, said: ‘I have to believe that Chadwick is still alive. I can't use the word gone or death, really’ (AFP via Getty)
open image in gallery‘When I think of Chadwick Boseman I think of three things: leadership, teaching, and generosity. He was an incredible leader,’ Ryan Coogler said (AFP via Getty)Sinners director Ryan Coogler, who was visibly emotional while speaking, said the actor “made everybody feel loved” and remembered his dedication to his craft.
“When I think of Chadwick Boseman I think of three things: leadership, teaching, and generosity. He was an incredible leader,” Coogler said.
Describing their first meeting, Coogler said: “Chad felt thousands of years old. He was that calm and that wise. It was a very unnerving feeling to be around. Our first time together, we were completely alone. He somehow snuck into a hotel room I was in during a massive press tour for Creed. It was crawling with press, but he got by all of them for us to have a one-on-one meeting to talk about working together on Black Panther.”
When Coogler asked Boseman how he managed to get inside, he said, according to the director: “That was the Panther.”
“We continue to carry him with us. Chad was a star deserving of a star on the Walk of Fame, but he was also our most incredible jewel. He reflected light, he refracted it, and when he did, he showed the greatness of our people, and the universe of our shared humanity. Thank you, Chad.”
open image in gallerySinners director Ryan Coogler, who was visibly emotional while speaking, said the actor ‘made everybody feel loved’ (Getty)
open image in galleryHugo Soto-MartÃnez, Derrick Boseman, Ryan Coogler, Taylor Simone Ledward, Kevin Boseman, Viola Davis, Jerry Neuman, and Steven Nissen at Chadwick Boseman’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony (Getty)
open image in galleryAlso present at the ceremony were Boseman’s Black Panther co-stars Michael B Jordan and Letitia Wright (Getty)Also present at the ceremony were Black Panther co-stars Michael B Jordan and Letitia Wright, Boseman’s brothers Kevin and Derrick Boseman, and Disney CEO Bob Iger.
During his two-decade career, Boseman became known for portraying pivotal figures in Black American history, rising to prominence with roles such as Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up, and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall.
He later took on the defining role of King T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first appearing in Captain America: Civil War before leading the record-breaking 2018 film Black Panther, which became the first superhero film to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
Boseman reprised the role in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and his final performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom earned him a posthumous Oscar nomination, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award.
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