It would be safe to say that 2018 has been a good year to Chadwick Boseman so far. The actor, who got his major break as Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War, has been elevated into the Hollywood elite through his role of T'Challa in Black Panther. However, while Boseman is undoubtedly one of the most important, and successful actors, in the past year or so, it could've all been so different if it wasn't for Denzel Washington.
Appearing on Jimmy Fallon last week, Boseman was doing a round of public appearances before last night's Oscar awards. In the show, the actor hid behind a curtain while fans recorded a video message thanking him for his role in Black Panther, unaware of how close to him they were standing. The majority of the messages were heartfelt, with one person saying:
"I just want to say thank you so much for making Black Panther. I can't express how much it means to me and the community and my family. Thank you from the very bottom of my heart for all that you've done, for really being a hero that we really need in a time like this. Thank you so much."
Another woman spoke about the political importance of the movie, saying: "For me, as the mother of a young son, my son's childhood has been defined by Barack Obama and now Black Panther. So, thank you."
However, while Boseman may be held as a fantastic role model for young black men now, he revealed that if it wasn't for the help of Denzel Washington, things wouldn't have worked out in the same way.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the Black Panther star revealed that he had attended acting classes held by Phylicia Rashad, who had encouraged him and his fellow students to apply for the Oxford University summer progam.
But while Boseman and the others were keen on the program, they revealed to Rashad that they couldn't afford to go to the school so she ‘essentially got some celebrity friends to pay for us to go’.
And, on his appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Boseman was grilled on the claim once more, with him finally revealing the identity of his mystery benefactor.
“Denzel paid for me”, he admitted.
Despite being a teenager at the time, Boseman invited Washing to the New York premiere of Black Panther as a way of repaying him and to thank him in person.
Upon finally meeting Boseman, the actor says that Denzel exclaimed:“Oh so that’s why I’m here, you owe me money!”
Not only has Black Panther made an impact politically, it's also resulted in a huge surge of black cats being adopted in the US. In a much-shared Tumblr post, one animal shelter in Colorado has seen 50 - 60 black cats be adopted since the release of the movie.
So, as it transpires, not only is Denzel Washington a great actor, he is also a great man. And, thanks to him, we now have Chadwick Boseman.
