Ryan Coogler reflects on the ‘biggest’ lesson Chadwick Boseman taught him, which he still carries today

As Ryan Coogler navigates a busy award season for his film “Sinners,” the director reveals how Chadwick Boseman keeps him grounded.

Over five years after Chadwick Boseman’s death, director Ryan Coogler revealed how the lessons he learned from the “Black Panther” star have guided him in this new season of his life as he embraces the success of his latest film, “Sinners.” 

“For me, when I look back on my relationship with him, man, it taught me so much,” Coogler shared during an appearance on Good Hang with Amy Poehler. “But the biggest thing is not to take things for granted, even all of this…the success of the film [‘Sinners’], being invited to do a podcast with you, doing award [season] press with my cast. Before losing him, I would not be present in those moments. I would be overwhelmed, consider it to be work or [be] dealing with imposter syndrome. 

Coogler continued: “He would be the one to to like snap me out of that, you know, like when I would be stressed on [the set of Black] Panther, I would say, ‘Man, I got to hurry up and do this, or I’m going to get fired.’ And he would say, ‘Hey, man, stop saying that.’ 

Recalling a time Boseman, who played T’Challa in Marvel’s “Black Panther,” pulled him to the side to echo the same message, Coogler revealed that he not only genuinely felt that way, but also the powerful message Boseman shared with him. 

He actually pulled me to the side and was like, ‘Yo, stop saying that you know, and I’m like no, I truly believe that. “He was like, ‘yo I’m not going to let anything happen to you.’ He told me, ‘I’m not letting nobody fire you…so please stop, please stop saying that. Relax, man. Do your work. Enjoy it,’” the director recalled. “That very act of being present. He was so good at that.” 

Since Boseman’s passing in 2020 after a private battle with colon cancer, the “Black Panther” star’s collaborators, including Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, have openly expressed the late actor’s lasting impact. 

“Chad’s a very special person,” Jordan once said, as previously reported by theGrio. “I just wish I had more time with him. I think that’s the hurtful thing.”

Coogler’s latest reflections on Boseman and his comedic, yet serious presence on the “Black Panther,” came hours before Marvel released a new trailer for its upcoming film.

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