Josh Gad is mourning the death of his beloved friend and former costar Chadwick Boseman.
The Black Panther actor died on Friday at his home after a years-long battle with colon cancer. He was 43.
After hearing the news of his death, Gad, who co-starred with Boseman in the 2017 Thurgood Marshall biopic Marshall, shared a heartbreaking post on Twitter which included one of his final texts from the late actor.
"Breaking my twitter silence to share some beauty. This was one of my final texts from the brilliant & once-in-lifetime talent, @chadwickboseman - take this in & celebrate life," Gad, 39, wrote alongside a screenshot of Boseman's messages. "He knew how precious every moment was. Tonight the Heavens received one of its most powerful angels."
Boseman's poetic text encouraged Gad to "catch the rain" and appreciate every moment.
"If you are in Los Angeles, you woke up this morning to the rare and peaceful sound of steady precipitation. If you're like me, maybe you looked at the week's forecast and found that it's supposed to rain for three straight days; not without breaks of sunlight and reprieves of moist gloom, but yeah it's gonna be coming down like cats and dog," Boseman began the moving message.
"Great. We're stuck inside these damn quarantines because of the COVID, and now we can't even get no sun in Cali. Come on now!" he continued. "But now that the rain has stopped and today's storm has cleared, I urge you to go outside and take a DEEP breath. Notice how fresh the air is right now, after our skies have had a 3 week break from the usual relentless barrage of fumes from bumper to bumper LA commuters, and now today's rain has given the City of Angels a long overdo [sic] and much-needed shower."
Boseman advised Gad to "inhale and exhale this moment" and remember to "thank God for the unique beauties and wonders of the day."
"We should take advantage of every moment we can to enjoy the simplicity of God's creation, whether it be clear skies and sun or clouded over with gloom," he wrote. "And hey, if the air is this clear right now, and it does rain tomorrow, I might even put jars and bins out and catch the rain. Throw that in the water filter and I have a water more alkaline than any bottled brand out there."
Gad also shared an emotional tribute to Boseman on Instagram, where he reflected on the actor's benevolent nature in a tearful video. "There aren’t words to express what an amazing human being Chadwick Boseman was," Gad began, struggling to get the words out.
"You come upon people in your life who are next-level good. This was a man who was beyond talented and was so unbelievably giving not only as a performer but as a human being," he continued. "Beyond just being Black Panther, Chadwick was T’Challah in real life, he was somebody who just gave and gave and gave and never stopped giving."
"2020 has been so devastating for so many reasons — this one hurts because it’s taking away somebody who was honestly one of the greats," the Frozen actor added. "I don’t know how to process this, but I want to send my love to his entire family and to all the fans out there, he’s gonna be missed."
Gad concluded the video, "Love you guys, stay safe. Chadwick, rest in peace my friend, love you."
Boseman died at his home surrounded by family, his team wrote on the star's social media accounts.
"It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman," the statement said. "Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV."
"A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy," the statement said, adding that the role of King T'Challa in Black Panther was "the honor of his career."
"He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side," the post concluded. "The family thanks you for your love and prayers, and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time."
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