The legacy of Chadwick Boseman continues to be celebrated as Phylicia Rashad honors the late actor during the Academy Award nomination announcement on Tuesday. Rashad was joined by students of Howard University during the livestream of the Best Actor nominations.
“All of our students here are so inspired by Chadwick Boseman, a Howard grad who was so committed to this university,” Rashad said. “And, as you know, Chadwick was nominated last year for Best Actor, and we are so honored to announce the nominees in this category.”
The 2022 Best Actor nominees were then announced by student John Woods III. Among the nominees was Will Smith for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard, and Denzel Washington as Lord Macbeth for The Tragedy of Macbeth.
This is Smith’s third Academy Award nomination — he was previously nominated for 2001’s Ali and 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness. This is Washington’s tenth Academy Award nomination, his seventh in the Best Actor category. He’s previously won for 1989’s Glory and 2001’s Training Day.
Boseman received a posthumous nomination for Best Actor at the 2021 Academy Awards for his role as cornet player Levee Green in the film adaptation of August Wilson’s play, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. It was his first Oscar nomination for the final movie he filmed before his death. He won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Movie Award for the role.
Boseman passed away on Aug. 28, 2020, after a battle with colon cancer. He was 43. Boseman was a student of Rashad’s at Howard and she helped him get a scholarship for a summer acting program funded by Washington.
Howard renamed their College of Fine Arts after Boseman in honor last May, as reported by theGrio. Rashad, who currently serves as dean of the Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts, was appointed that same month.
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