Chadwick Boseman‘s widow gave another poignant speech at this year’s Critic’s Choice Awards as she accepted her late husband’s posthumous award for Best Actor.
Attending the virtual ceremony from her home, Taylor Simone Ledward honoured the Black Panther star’s memory by expressing how deserving he and his work were for the award, but also candidly admitting that it was hard to celebrate the win without him.
“It has to be said aloud that for those of us who know Chad, intimately, emotionally, professionally, those he taught, those he gave a word of advice, those who taught him – it is so hard to find a celebratory feeling in these moments,” she said, fighting back tears. “As proud as we are of him, yes for his work, but even more just for who he is as a person. But his work deserves this, he deserves this and so, he would always thank God first and foremost in everything.”
The win comes after Chadwick won the same category at the Golden Globes 2021, for his performance as trumpet player, Levee, in George C. Wolfe’s August Wilson adaptation Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The film was his final on-screen project before he passed away on 28 August 2020, following a secret four-year battle with colon cancer.
Taylor also accepted the award on her late husband’s behalf last week, with an equally raw and emotional speech. “He would thank God. He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and sacrifices,” she said. “He would say something beautiful, something inspiring. … I don’t have his words but we have to take all the moments to celebrate those we love.”
Chadwick is also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Oscar may be on the cards too, though we have yet to hear this year’s list of nominations.