18 Inspirational quotes by Chadwick Boseman to remember his legacy

A few years ago, America was shaken by the untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman, the awesomely talented actor who brought fictional heroes like Black Panther's King T'Challa and real heroes like Jackie Robinson to life.

Just as his career in Hollywood was soaring, Chadwick was privately undergoing "countless surgeries and chemotherapy." After a stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis in 2016, the actor, who never spoke publicly about his illness, died of it at the age of 43 on August 28, 2020.

To commemorate his legacy, here are 18 inspirational quotes by Chadwick Boseman that will empower and encourage his fans.

1. "When you are deciding on the next steps, next jobs, next careers, further education, you should rather find purpose than a job or a career. Purpose crosses disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you." 

2. "The only difference between a hero and the villain is that the villain chooses to use that power in a way that is selfish and hurts other people."

3. "Sometimes you need to get knocked down before you can really figure out what your fight is and how you need to fight it."

4. "You're not free unless you can show the good and the bad, all sides of them. So to me, when I play a character, it's important that I can show every aspect of them."

5. "It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history."

6. "I said yes too much. I said yes to certain projects that weren't for me. It was somebody else's vision and somebody else's dream and somebody else's artistic endeavor, but it didn't necessarily fit in my grand scheme."

7. "I'm not afraid to work."

8. "The number one rule of acting is: Do not seek approval from the audience. People don't realize that. You can't do stuff to get applause. You have to live in the truth."

9. "When you play characters, you shouldn't just be putting on their characteristics — you should be finding it inside yourself."

10. "I try to look at every role the same way, regardless of whether the character is real or the character is fantasy. I always start from myself, because you have to know yourself first."

11. "I think you realize how much you need to have people that you love. It's not as much about them loving you — it's about you needing to love people."

12. "I'm an artist. Artists don't need permission to work. Regardless of whether I'm acting or not, I write. I write when I'm tired in fact, because I believe your most pure thoughts surface."

13. "You have to cherish things in a different way when you know the clock is ticking, you are under pressure."

14. "The industry looks for white actors and actresses, but it's not the same for Black actors. We have to really put the work in."

15. "I truly believe there’s a truth that needs to enter the world at a particular time." 

16. "A superhero movie is only as great as its villains."

17. "Fearlessness means taking the first step, even if you don't know where it will take you. It means being driven by a higher purpose, rather than by applause. It means knowing that you reveal your character when you stand apart more than when you stand with the crowd."

18. "In my culture, death is not the end, it's more of a stepping off point." — Chadwick Boseman as the legendary T'Challa

Editor's note: This article was originally published on September 1, 2020. It has since been updated.