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Sarah Halley Finnis a veteran Hollywood casting director best known for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
And like fans worldwide, she was shocked and saddened by hispremature passing.
The thing about Chad is, he always came into the room with an outsize presence.
Its something that you have.
There was just a very strong presence that he carried with him.
I brought him in to read for Drax and he read the part as if he were a king.
To be fair, were not able to share scripts with actors.
A lot of times, were looking for their instinctive take on the material.
The compassion that he had and the strength and vulnerability all mixed together obviously left an impression on me.
But when it came to casting Black Panther, it was unanimous.
We all were in absolute agreement immediately that he was the person to play this part.
Something else that I saw in Chad was intense preparation.
Theres nothing haphazard about the way he approaches his work.
Chad worked incredibly hard on it on the accent he wanted to have, which was a discussion.
Would audiences accept that?
Would they go through a movie listening to this accent?
Chad felt very strongly about that.
Theres a magic that happens, a kind of alchemy between actor and director.
Its not something he ever has to flaunt.
In fact, he flourishes it by elevating others, especially women.
Black Pantheris the first major superhero centered around a Black character.
And Chad was the leader.
I think people will remember him as a true hero.
As with his character, he was a leader in real life and an inspiration.
That he was able to radiate power with kindness and warmth is an incredible legacy to leave behind.
