Celebrities, athletes and institutions came together Friday night in mourning the death of actor Chadwick Boseman.
The “Black Panther” star died in his Los Angeles-area home at age 43 after a private, four-year battle with colon cancer, his family announced.
“What a gentle gifted SOUL,” tweeted Oprah Winfrey.
“Showing us all that Greatness in between surgeries and chemo. The courage, the strength, the Power it takes to do that. This is what Dignity looks like.”
“THANK YOU @chadwickboseman for all you gave us. We needed it & will always cherish it!” Samuel Jackson tweeted. “A talented & giving artist & brother who will be sorely missed🙏🏿 RIP.”
Democratic veep contender and California Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted, “Heartbroken,” alongside a photo of the two together at a pro-immigration event.
“Tears overflowing. You will forever be mighty and beloved,” Rosario Dawson tweeted.
“Thank you for sharing yourself so powerfully, beautifully and generously in this lifetime. We were lucky to have so much of you. Praying and sending love and many blessings to your family.”
Meanwhile, Disney chief Bob Iger tweeted that Boseman was “one of the most gentle and giving souls I have ever met,” and
The NFL, NBA and MLB also posted tributes to the late actor.
Many noted Boseman passed away on the same day that Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson Day.
“We are devastated by the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman,” MLB wrote in a statement.
“His transcendent performance in ’42’ will stand the test of time and serve as a powerful vehicle to tell Jackie’s story to audiences for generations to come.”
Those who worked with Boseman heaped praises on the star as an artist and individual.
“All I have to say is the tragedies amassing this year have only been made more profound by the loss of #ChadwickBoseman,” tweeted Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“What a man, and what an immense talent,” Ruffalo went on.
“Brother, you were one of the all-time greats and your greatness was only beginning. Lord love ya. Rest in power, King.”
Viola Davis tweeted that it was an “honor to work alongside” Boseman during their performances in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
“Chadwick…..no words to express my devastation of losing you,” Davis wrote.
“Your talent, your spirit, your heart, your authenticity……..It was an honor working beside you, getting to know you … Rest well, prince … May flights of angels sing thee to thy heavenly rest. I love you!”
Boseman had not publicly disclosed his illness and his family said he filmed some of his best performances between surgeries and chemotherapy treatments.
“I am absolutely stunned. He was so, so young,” Bette Midler tweeted. “My deepest sympathies to his family and friends, those near and dear to him who loved and supported him throughout his brief time on earth. It’s so unfair.”
John Legend said he was “shocked and heartbroken” by the news.
“He brought grace, elegance and power to everything he did. He always seemed to carry our ancestors with him,” Legend tweeted. “And now he joins them far too soon.”
Activists spoke to his roles and how inspiring they were for children around the world.
“Chadwick Boseman brought history to life on the silver screen, from Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Thurgood Marshall,” Martin Luther King III tweeted.
Barack Obama shared “Chadwick came to the White House to work with kids when he was playing Jackie Robinson. You could tell right away that he was blessed. To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to do it all while in pain — what a use of his years.”
Denzel Washington wrote, “Words can’t begin to describe the pain that many of us, especially his family are feeling right now. Had to imagine the quiet pain and struggle you went thru all these years, yet still you shined and motivated us all. Live like a Superhero die like a Legend. Rest In Power KING 🙌🏿✊🏿 #chadwickboseman #denzelwashington”
“As Black Panther, he was also a superhero to many. And despite his 4 year-long battle with cancer, he kept fighting and he kept inspiring. He will be missed.”
“Black Panther” co-star Angela Bassett also sent out a heartfelt tribute: “It was meant to be for Chadwick and me to be connected, for us to be family. … So I pay tribute to a beautiful spirit, a consummate artist, a soulful brother…”thou aren’t not dead but flown afar…”. All you possessed, Chadwick, you freely gave. Rest now, sweet prince.!”
Fellow on-screen superhero Chris Evans wrote on Twitter “I’m absolutely devastated. This is beyond heartbreaking. Chadwick was special. A true original. He was a deeply committed and constantly curious artist. He had so much amazing work still left to create. I’m endlessly grateful for our friendship. Rest in power, King💙”
“Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse… A deeply gifted man is gone too soon. His memory will blaze on fiercely… from here to eternity,” wrote Mark Hamill on Twitter.
Lastly, The Jackie Robinson Foundation had this to say about the “42” star on Twitter: “It is with tremendous sadness that the Jackie Robinson Foundation mourns the loss of actor, screenwriter and philanthropist Chadwick Boseman. … Having channelled the depth and diversity of our beloved Jackie Robinson in the 2013 critically acclaimed Legendary Entertainment film “42,” Chadwick was a dear friend of the Foundation, lending his time and visibility to help advance our mission.”