State House flags to be lowered for SC born Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman
A “son of South Carolina” is being honored at the state’s capitol after his death.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster ordered that the flags atop the State House be lowered to half-staff to honor actor Chadwick Boseman, whose death from cancer was announced Friday night.
The flags will be lowered from dawn til dusk on Sunday, McMaster said. The United States and South Carolina flags will be presented to Boseman’s family after Sunday evening.
McMaster gave the order to “honor the life, contributions and memory of a truly extraordinary son of South Carolina,” he said in a statement.
Boseman was a native of Anderson, where he attended T.L. Hanna High School, graduating in 1995.
In his breakout role, he played Jackie Robinson in the 2013 film “42.”
He went on to portray other transformative Black figures such as James Brown and Thurgood Marshall on the screen.
Boseman transcended to new heights of popularity and love when he played Marvel Comics superhero Black Panther in the titular film and in the Avengers movie series.
The film was one of the most popular movies of 2018 and the highest-grossing film of all time with a Black director.
Boseman’s managers said in a statement on Twitter that bringing Black Panther to life “was the honor of his career.”
Fellow South Carolina-born actor Michael Colter said Boseman was “a king on and off screen.”
“You were like a comet that flew by so fast,” said Colter, who also is known for playing Marvel superhero Luke Cage. “You will be missed brother. Rest easy.”
Viola Davis, another South Carolina-born actor, praised Boseman’s talent, spirit, heart and authenticity.
“It was an honor working beside you, getting to know you,” Davis said on Twitter.
Davis and Boseman worked together on “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” a drama based on the play by August Wilson, which is set to be Boseman’s first posthumous release.
“Rest well prince. May flights of angels sing thee to thy heavenly rest. I love you!” Davis said.
This story was originally published August 29, 2020 at 12:44 PM with the headline "State House flags to be lowered for SC born Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman."