Chadwick Boseman Finally Got To Thank Denzel Washington For Paying For His Acting Classes
We love a good update — especially on what was already an incredibly inspiring story!
Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman recently revealed that Hollywood royal Denzel Washington was largely responsible for his success as he covered the cost of an acting program he attended at Oxford while he was a student at Howard University. The action star, however, revealed that he never got the chance to thank Washington in person for his generous gesture. Thankfully, he recently got his chance to express his gratitude, and the Oscar-winning actor's response was perfect.
As we previously reported, thanks to the coordination of Phylicia Rashad, Washington paid for Boseman to attend a prestigious summer theater program at the University of Oxford. In his Rolling Stone cover story, Boseman revealed that after the program had ended, he learned through a beneficiary letter that the Oscar winner funded the program.
"Denzel paid for me," he said. "I'm sure he has no idea... I've been waiting to meet him, so I can tell him."
The Black Panther star added that he wrote Washington a thank you letter, but refrained from speaking on it for the next 20 years.
"I've basically been holding this secret my whole career," he told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show while explaining that he did not want Washington to feel like he owed him anything more.
Thankfully, Boseman received his chance to thank his benefactor, in person, at the New York premiere of his massively successful film, Marvel's Black Panther.
"I met him, before the article came out," he said. "So, I actually lived up to what I originally wanted to do. It was amazing."
So, what did Washington say after the Marshall star thanked him for generously paying for his Oxford classes more than two decades ago?
"'Oh, so that's why I'm here. You owe me money! I came to collect!'" Boseman recalled Washington reply.
A full circle moment, if we've ever seen one.
Watch Boseman explain everything, below: