Christopher Meloni has nothing but love for his late 42 costar Chadwick Boseman.
The Law & Order: Organized Crime star, 59, said he's rooting for Boseman, who received a posthumous Golden Globes nomination for best actor in a motion picture, drama category for his role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, at Sunday night's awards ceremony.
"Beyond being a great actor," Meloni said of Boseman during an appearance on E!'s Golden Globes pre-show. "He's a really special human being."
Meloni also recalled his first meeting with Boseman, saying on the HFPA and Dick Clark Productions Golden Globes pre-show that he was "so happy" for Boseman when he learned that the actor would be playing legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson in 42.
"I first met him as we're both getting baseball lessons," Meloni remembered. "I didn't know him and I walked up to him and introduced myself. I was so happy for him — a chance of a lifetime playing Jackie Robinson."
According to Meloni, he was equally impressed while working with Boseman on set.
"Just watching him on set and how he conducted himself, both in front of the cameras and when the cameras weren't rolling, I realized not only was he a great actor but also a great human being," he said.
"His passing affected me deeply," Meloni added of Boseman, who died in August died at the age of 43 after a private four-year battle with colon cancer. "Great guy, great actor."
Boseman posthumously appeared in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom opposite Viola Davis, who also earned a nomination for her performance in the movie. His posthumous Golden Globe nomination was also his first.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is based on August Wilson's 1982 play about the "Mother of Blues" Ma Rainey (Davis) and her experience with white management at the time. The movie takes place in 1927 Chicago and explores the racial tension in the music world as white record executives profited off of Black artists.
Source: Read Full Article