Viola Davis Was ‘Judgmental’ About Chadwick Boseman Prior to Knowing Cancer Diagnosis

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Viola Davis Was ‘Judgmental’ About Chadwick Boseman Prior to Knowing Cancer Diagnosis

Viola Davis recently opened up about her time working with the late Chadwick Boseman, and revealed that she was “judgmental” toward him while not knowing about his cancer diagnosis.

What did Viola Davis say about Chadwick Boseman?

In a new interview with The Times, Davis briefly recalled her time working with Boseman for 2020’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Davis recalled that, while on set, Boseman’s girlfriend and make-up artist would often spend time massaging his back and playing meditative music for the actor.

At the time, Davis didn’t understand why, although she acknowledged that she was equally as unaware of the private battle with colon cancer the actor was going through.

“There was a part of me that was a little judgmental — why do you need all that?” Davis said. “Little did I know that they were doing it because he was dying.”

Boseman — who earned a posthumous Oscar nomination for his role in the film — passed away in August 2020 following his battle with cancer. The news of his diagnosis had been kept private to nearly everyone in the industry, leading to his death becoming a massive shock.

Previously, Boseman’s friend and fellow actor Michael B. Jordan also opened up about the actor’s death, and how it’s still affecting him.

“It’s something I think about often, you know,” Jordan said. “Not checking up as much as I should. It’s something that weighs on me also. I’m not trying to turn this into a therapy session, but Chadwick is special. I was looking forward to, like, you know…” the actor says before trailing off.