Oscars 2021: Reflecting on the legacy left behind by best actor nominee Chadwick Boseman

This year, the late Chadwick Boseman could become just the third actor to posthumously win an Oscar... following Peter Finch for "Network" and Heath Ledger for "The Dark Knight Rises." Boseman died after a private battle with colon cancer last year at the age of 43.

Boseman has been roundly celebrated for his performance in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." He won The SAG Award, the Critics Choice Award and a Golden Globe, to name a few. He's the frontrunner to take home the Oscar, too.
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"Chadwick is transformative. His believability just blows everybody away who watches this piece of work. And it really shows not only all the tools he always had in his chest but what the potential really could have been building on this performance," said Kelley L. Carter, Senior Entertainment Writer "The Undefeated."



Boseman was also part of the ensemble cast of Spike Lee's "Da 5 Bloods". His co-stars agree that any recognition he gets is much deserved.

"It's just very, just very sad," said Isiah Whitlock Jr. "It's still a very, very difficult time but I'm happy for him. And I say that you know, the power of his spirit, he's still with us."
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MORE | Kids post tributes to 'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman

"To show his legacy of work, this is awesome. It's awesome to be recognized this way, but it is very sad that he's not here and especially with the time we had with him," said Norm Lewis.



Along with Boseman, the nominees for best performance by an actor in a leading role include Riz Ahmed in "Sound of Metal," Anthony Hopkins in "The Father," Gary Oldman in "Mank," and Steven Yeun in "Minari."