Spike Lee and Viola Davis Reflect on Chadwick Boseman for ‘Portrait of an Artist’ Trailer

Viola Davis, Spike Lee, and more gather to reflect on Chadwick Boseman and his legacy.

On Tuesday, Netflix revealed the trailer for Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist. The special is a conversation that explores the late actor’s “extraordinary commitment to his craft in an intimate look at the late Oscar-nominated actor’s artistry, and the acting process which informed his transformative performances.” View the full trailer below.

Colleagues, mentors, and more like Viola Davis, Spike Lee, Phylicia Rashad and Denzel Washington all take part in the conversation. “You know you have to step up when you’re in his presence,” Davis said in the trailer. “He’s looking at your work and he’s really hyper-focused, on the craft, on the process. That’s Chad.”

The trailer features words from Boseman himself on his trade. “I’m Chadwick Boseman. I’m an artist,” he says of himself in the trailer. “People call me an actor. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself an actor. I would call myself an artist.”

Portrait of an Artist premieres on April 17 at midnight, Pacific time on Netflix. The special will only be available for streaming for a 30-day window. Brian Helgeland, Reginald Hudlin, Branford Marsalis, and George C. Wolfe will also contribute to the conversation.

Boseman died on August 28th, due to complications from colon cancer. He was diagnosed four years before his death, is nominated for Best Actor at the 2021 Oscars for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Stay tuned for further updates on Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist.