Shortly before his death from colon cancer in August, Chadwick Boseman told his brother that he was exhausted.
In a new interview with the New York Times, the late actor’s brother, Derrick Boseman, revealed that he spoke with him about how he was feeling.
Derrick, a pastor, often prayed with his brother over the phone about his situation, but on that particular day, what Boseman said to him changed his prayer. “Man, I’m in the fourth quarter, and I need you to get me out of the game,” he said. Derrick, understanding what that meant, altered his religious request.
“When he told me that, I changed my prayer from, ‘God heal him, God save him,’ to ‘God, let your will be done,’ said Derrick. “And the next day, he passed away.”
Boseman had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2016. His diagnosis came in the midst of his acting career, one that started with his first major role on Persons Unknown in 2010 and became truly official with his breakthrough turn as baseball player Jackie Robinson in 2013’s 42.
Boseman’s other brother, Kevin, also spoke to the New York Times about the early days of his brother’s career when his parents had doubts about whether being an actor would pay off or not.
“A lot of people think making it means becoming an A-list movie star,” he said. “I didn’t force that. I just knew that if Chad wanted to work in the arts, he would find a way and take care of himself.”
“He always did his best,” he continued. “His best was incredible.”