Funniest Chadwick Boseman Moments That Make Us Miss Him Even More
The world was stunned when news broke that Chadwick Boseman had tragically lost his battle with colon cancer on August 28, 2020. As sadness overwhelmed the globe that day, fans shared stories of his brilliance. Sure, his performances as James Brown in Get On Up, Jackie Robinson in 42, and, of course, as T'Challa in Black Panther will live forever, but his personality and sparkling smile were just as reverently discussed that day. Lupita Nyong'o summed it up perfectly when she said, "It seems that it was life that gave up on Chadwick long before Chadwick gave up on life." Boseman was a luminous person, a spectacular actor, and one of the most persistent people in Hollywood. Though his loss hurts tremendously, it's hard not to be grateful that he shared his talent with us in so many wonderful movies.
Boseman was able to make one final film, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, though the fact that it must now serve as the endpoint of his too-short career is heartbreaking. In honor of all he did with his 43 years on Earth, let's look back at some of Boseman's funniest moments. Warning: They will absolutely make you miss him even more. Still, what better way to honor this remarkable person than by keeping his effervescent spirit alive?
When T'Challa dragged Karen for her potato salad
On April 7, 2018, Boseman brilliantly hosted Saturday Night Live. The entire episode is filled with gems. One emerges early in his monologue when, while dressed in a perfect plaid jacket, Boseman discusses talking to people who suggest he should be president. He reveals his on-point response: "Why would I go from being a serious actor to being on reality TV?" He goes on to play a fertilization doctor who impregnates a man, but forgets to tell him the birth has changed from a C-section to more of a "bowling ball going through a Twizzler" situation.
The funniest moment of all comes during the "Black Jeopardy" sketch, when Boseman, playing T'Challa, gives one of the best game show answers of all time. The category is "White People," and the answer is, "Your friend Karen brings her potato salad to your cookout." Boseman, without missing a beat and with the precision timing of a seasoned comedian, drags the proverbial Karen for her "bland-ass potato salad." As he notes, it isn't seasoned and has "something unnecessary, like raisins" in it. Though ne notes he's never had potato salad before, being the king of Wakanda, he finally knows, after a whole sketch spent being oblivious to American norms, what the correct answer is. It's the kind of SNL moment you can watch over and over again, and truly laugh out loud each time.
When the audience was left to wonder, "Did he or didn't he wet his pants?"
There is no denying that the Black Panther suit fit Chadwick Boseman like a glove. When the film came out, people everywhere wanted to try it on — though it's hard to believe too many people would have looked better than Boseman did in said suit. Still, it turns out wearing such a form-fitting garment isn't as fun as it looks. In an interview with USA Today, the Black Panther actor said, "It's suffocating at times. You just feel like you're closed in. But you get used to it."
Public fascination with the suit remained pervasive — so much so that Boseman was asked about his Black Panther suit in every interview or interaction. Was it uncomfortable? How bad did it smell at the end of the day? Was it hard to get on? Was it hot? While on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Boseman shared a very funny answer to that final question. Turns out, yes, it was very hot. Due to that heat, the suit had a cooling system option. This was great in theory, but there was a major catch. As he hilariously explained, the system utilized tubes of flowing water, which made him constantly wonder if he'd peed his pants.
Whether he suffered an accident or not, he still rocked that suit, and we're all glad he did.
When he flawlessly sassed Peter Travers about doing the Wakandan accent
Actors flawlessly taking on accents other than their own is always incredibly impressive. Much to all of our dismay, however, Wakanda doesn't exist, and as such, has no actual accent. Thus, a Wakandan accent had to be created. As Boseman mentioned in his interview with Peter Travers, the Black Panther filmmaking team's initial impetus was to make the Wakandan accent a British accent. But Boseman felt it was really important that the accent had an African influence. He studied different accents throughout Africa and landed on a South African-based dialect. He and the other actors worked with dialect coach Beth McGuire to fill their world with variations on the chosen Xhosa style, making Wakanda just as unique a nation in terms of language as it is in regards to technology, history, and aesthetics.
Boseman executed the accent with ease, to the extent that it was always a bit disconcerting for fans to hear him speak with his actual American accent. When asked about the dialect in this segment, a twinkle appeared in his eye, despite the fact that he'd been asked to do this many times by this point. With no hesitation, Boseman dropped into a perfect T'Challa voice, with a fluency Travers never saw coming. He was a ninja with quick retorts, and it was a joy to watch.
When he and Jimmy Fallon beautifully surprised fans
By all accounts, Black Panther was an absolute success. The film made more than $1 billion in a month, and became the ninth highest grossing film of all time, in addition to earning rave reviews. The movie also secured its place in the top echelon of films with seven Academy Award nominations, winning three for Original Score, Production Design, and Costume Design.
Still, all of those pillars of success pale in comparison to how much this film meant to so many people. T'Challa is the first Black headliner in the MCU, and Black Panther is the first MCU movie with a primarily Black cast. In conversation with Time, Ryan Coogler, director and screenwriter of Black Panther, discussed the film's examination of identity: "'Who are you?' is a question that comes up a lot in this film. T'Challa knows exactly who he is. The antagonist in this film has many names." In examining this divide and what caused it, Black Panther broke boundaries.
So it's no surprise that when Jimmy Fallon asked Tonight Show fans to speak about how much the film meant to them, they poured their hearts out. What they didn't realize was that Chadwick Boseman was waiting on the other side of the movie poster in front of them as they did. Comedy, tears, and pure joy ensued when he popped out to greet them. These interactions were truly some of the most wonderful moments of the past decade.
When Ellen was all of us while talking about his action figure
Before Black Panther came out, Boseman went on the expected press tour to promote the film, get fans hyped, and introduce himself a little more thoroughly. With every interview he did, the world fell more and more in love with this suave, smart, and seriously funny guy. These qualities were never more obvious than when he appeared on Ellen about a month prior to the film's release. The crowd barely held it together as he dazzled with jokes, anecdotes, and a whole lot of insight into just how wild it is to become an internationally renowned superhero.
The whole interview is delightful. Everyone in the studio and at home smiled when Boseman said his huge extended family was like a built-in fan base, buying out full theaters for the movie's release. Then Ellen broke out his action figure and kicked the appearance up to a new level of hilarity. She asked the question everyone was wondering: Did he look like his action figure in real life? Many glorious scenes in Black Panther proved he, in fact, had the physique of a superhero. But Ellen was all of us when she asked Boseman to take off his shirt to prove it.
It's hard to believe he was battling cancer in these clips — he appeared to be in tremendous shape, and never let his illness show. Chadwick Boseman was truly a hero, both on and off-screen.
When he teamed up with Jamie Foxx for one hilarious interview
When Jamie Foxx interviewed Chadwick Boseman on his show Off Script, the pair appeared to simply be chatting backstage in a dressing room with a swanky bar. Whatever their setting, however, the interview felt like two friends just hanging out, talking about movies. Honestly, Boseman was so comfortable in his skin that many of his interviews felt like old friends spending time together. Still, there's something unique about his time with Foxx — a certain amiable spark that brought the whole segment to life. The warmth between the two made the inaugural episode of Foxx's show enormously enjoyable to watch.
Their interview began with the guys talking about the massive importance of the movie, and how Foxx knew that Boseman's performance in Black Panther was going to change his life forever. Then they started talking about how nuanced and lived-in Boseman's performance was, and how that quality made fans think Wakanda was an actual place that they could visit. That's where the real hilarity began. The duo spoke about Boseman's real fighting prowess, and how it made his stunts look impressively real, especially, Foxx noted, when compared to other actors who do not work in stunts. Foxx then challenged Boseman to say famous movie quotes as a Wakandan. To say it was magical would be an understatement: You'll never forget the sound of King T'Challa saying, "You are going to need a bigger boat."
When he was upstaged by a goat
It's hard to imagine a dull moment ever occurs on the set where a Marvel movie is filmed. When one watches behind-the-scenes footage or any of the MCU films' blooper reels, there are always endless crew and cast members making jokes, green screens as far as the eye can see, and intricate fight scenes happening in the background, without the support of grandiose sound effects and intense music. Despite this goofiness (and straight up awkwardness, especially when it comes to fight scenes), the MCU actors are somehow able to give performances that move audiences across the globe. Seriously, imagine having to turn in a genuinely moving performance while interacting with a dude in a royal blue unitard and a tiny plastic Groot head. Now try to imagine doing it painted green, suspended from wires, and/or wearing motion capture dots on your own face.
The set of Black Panther was no different. In this moment, the age-old adage, "Never work with children or animals," was proven very true. Everyone wanted to act with the Black Panther himself, but this goat wasn't going to miss his shot. Really, it's hard not to respect the goat's efforts: Who among us wouldn't try to edge our own dialogue into the scene? Boseman, a consummate professional, gave a valiant attempt to work through the goat's noise. Ultimately, his scene partner, Danai Gurira, couldn't keep a straight face, and they had to cut.
This entire interview with Jimmy Kimmel
Chadwick Boseman was on Jimmy Kimmel Live multiple times. He showed up on Black Panther premiere night, stopped by while promoting 21 Bridges, shared some amazing photos from Thailand of him petting tigers, and even surprised fans with his Avengers: Infinitely War cast members. Jimmy Kimmel's Marvel episodes are indeed some of the best around — but one of the greatest moments of all came while Boseman was on the show promoting Marshall.
This interview happened while Boseman was filming Black Panther and Infinity War, so, obviously, like any good fan, Kimmel grilled Boseman for juicy insider Avenger details. The result was some incredibly funny banter, and the hilarious sight of the esteemed actor attempting to not pull a Tom Holland or Mark Ruffalo and spill any beans. Luckily, he held his own, and also made everyone laugh.
It was interviews like this one in which Boseman's easy-going personality shone through. Fans worldwide loved him for his unimpeachable talent, intense work ethic, and creative choices, but the love goes beyond that. To the public, it was always clear that Boseman wasn't just the guy who delivered on-screen every single time, but was also someone you would've loved to grab a beer with. He was personable, charming, and impressively grounded, even once he'd been catapulted into the furthest heights of fame. This is why losing him felt like losing a friend — and why he'll never be forgotten.
The fear box that brought the world so many laughs
Public relations teams have proven to be extremely clever and versatile when creating media blitzes for new films — especially major blockbusters. In today's fast-paced, multi-screened, social media-ridden world, celebrities don't just give interviews. No: To hit it big and make some serious headlines, you need to play with puppies while answering questions about your latest project – or at least as you try to answer. Stars do countless talk show appearances and press junkets nowadays, as they have in the past, but the activities they take part in have exploded in diversity and sheer strangeness. Seriously, try to imagine a star promoting a movie by finding out what phrases autocomplete when one types their name into Google back in the 2000s.
So, the fact that Chadwick Boseman and Danai Gurira showed up at Vanity Fair for a segment called "Fear Box" wasn't that surprising, given today's bizarre PR climate. Still, watching the two of them in this video remains a laugh-a-minute affair. The premise was simple. Without looking, the pair took turns putting their hand into a box containing something strange and mysterious, and had to guess what they were touching — the old "spaghetti as monster brains" Halloween trick, basically. It's hard not to smile the entire time while watching these events unfold. The time Boseman and Gurira had together was clearly filled with pure glee — and occasionally, concealed iguanas, frogs, and Black Panther dolls.
When he attempted to play the compliment game with Michael B. Jordan
Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan had a friendship that sparkled on and off the silver screen. Their mutual admiration was apparent even when they were playing arch-nemeses — which is part of what makes Black Panther's central conflict so engaging. One can't help but shake the feeling that in another world, T'Challa and Killmonger might have been allies, and perhaps even friends. After the world lost Boseman, Jordan posted an incredibly heartfelt tribute to him on Instagram. His message captured the devastation everyone was feeling, while honoring the beauty of Boseman's incredible spirit. It was a tribute only a true friend could have composed. Photos that expressed enormous amounts of joy and strength were paired with even more powerful words. "I wish we had more time," Jordan wrote, "I'm more aware now than ever that time is short with people we love and admire."
Every interview the pair did together was purely delightful silliness: Consider the one they did with MTV news, where Boseman gave Jordan a hard time about posting his workout. However, it was their time on Kerrang! Radio playing the "compliment game" that contains their most infectious laughter. Neither Boseman nor Jordan could get through the game without crying with mirth. They may not have won the game, but they sure won the hearts of us all.