Chadwick Boseman said a tragic and untimely goodbye to the world just over two years ago, but the late actor’s legacy continues on. During the 2022 Emmy’s Creative Arts ceremony on Saturday (September 3), the beloved star’s fans and family celebrated not only his first-ever Emmy nomination but also a posthumous win for the South Carolina native.
As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the 21 Bridges star was recognized for his voice work on Marvel’s What If…? series, reprising one of his most favoured roles, Black Panther‘s T’Challa, for the “What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?” episode.
Other nominees included F. Murray Abraham (Moon Knight), Julie Andrews (Bridgerton), Maya Rudolph (Big Mouth), Stanley Tucci (Central Park), Jessica Walter (Archer) and Jeffrey Wright (What If…?).”
Seeing as Boseman wasn’t around to accept the award himself, his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, shared an emotional speech on his behalf on stage at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.
“When I learned that Chad was nominated for this award, I started thinking about everything that was going on when he was recording — everything that was going on in the world and in our world and just being in such awe of his commitment and his dedication,” she began.
Chadwick Boseman in 2018 — Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
“And what a beautifully aligned moment it really is that one of the last things he would work on would not only be revisiting a character that was so important to him and his career and to the world, but also that it be an exploration of something new, diving into a new potential future — particularly with everything he spoke about purpose and finding the reason that you are here on the planet on this very time.”
“You can’t understand your purpose unless you’re willing to ask, ‘What if,’ unless you’re willing to say, ‘What if the universe is conspiring in my favour, what if it’s me?'” she said near the end of her speech. “Thank you so much for the honour — Chad would be so honoured, and I’m honoured on his behalf.”
RIP Chadwick Boseman.
[Via]