Viola Davis shares clip of Chadwick Boseman playing guitar on the set 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'

Viola Davis remembered her 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' co-star, late actor Chadwick Boseman. Davis, took to her Instagram on Tuesday to share footage of the late actor expertly playing guitar onset of the drama film in 2019.

Chadwick Boseman plays a trumpeter named Levee in Netflix's latest flick Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which was released on Netflix on December 18. Read the review of the film here.

'THIS was Chadwick! A gift. #MaRaineyFilm #BTS #Netflix @thechadwickrealm,' captioned Davis, 55, who plays the title character in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

 

Boseman died at 43 after a four-year colon cancer battle in 2020.

In the behind-the-scenes video, Chadwick was seen playing at the strings of an acoustic guitar, while donning one of his character's 1920s inspired get-up. He delivered the impromptu performance from the comfort cast and crew gathered around him during a brief break from filming.

Viola's video of Boseman comes just days after another one of the actor's Ma Rainey co-stars, Colman Domingo, revealed that he truly learned to play' trumpet for his role in the film. 

The Black Panther star inspired his costars to hone their playing skills for the film, said Domingo, who plays Cutler in the movie. 'I think everyone was like, 'Oh, that's what you're doing, Chad? Okay, now I'm gonna learn too,'' Domingo said in a promotional clip. 'I love that [he's] like, 'Yeah, I'm gonna challenge you. We're gonna challenge each other.''

Viola Davis stars as blues icon Ma Rainey in the musical drama, which is based off August Wilson's play. Denzel Washington, who starred with Davis in her Oscar-winning turn in the 2016 adaption of Wilson's Fences, is a producer on the movie.

Boseman, best known for his role as King T'Challa in Black Panther, also starred in movies like 42, Marshall, Get on Up and Draft Day.

The actor was diagnosed with stage three cancer in 2016 and underwent 'countless surgeries and chemotherapy' in his battle with the disease, his family said, adding that he 'died in his home, with his wife and family by his side,' adding that 'it was the honour of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in Black Panther.'

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is streaming on Netflix now.