The Powerful Wisdom From Chadwick Boseman That Transformed Ryan Coogler’s Career

If you ever wondered how much Chadwick Boseman meant to the people who worked with him, Ryan Coogler–the guy who directed Black Panther–is still talking about the influence Boseman had on him, years after Chadwick's death. And honestly, the details Coogler just shared are pretty striking; you can tell this wasn’t just some generic admiration you put in an interview. There’s real, day-to-day impact here.

Chadwick Boseman Wasn’t Just T’Challa—He Was Coogler’s On-Set Counselor

Coogler popped up on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast recently (apparently while doing a press tour for his new movie, Sinners), and he got unusually candid about how much Boseman’s presence—and some blunt advice—changed his outlook, both professionally and personally.

Here’s the heart of it, in Coogler’s own words:

'When I look back at my relationship with him, it taught me so much. But the biggest thing is to not take things for granted. Even all of this, Amy—the success of my new film, being invited to your podcast, doing awards press with my cast. Before losing him, I would not be present in those moments. I would be overwhelmed or just think of it as more work, stuck wrestling with imposter syndrome.'

How Boseman Actually Helped Coogler Get Through the Marvel Machine

To translate: while working on Black Panther (aka, the big one), Coogler apparently used to spiral pretty hard. Standard ‘Oh god I’m going to get fired’ director anxieties, which is understandable if you’ve ever heard about how chaotic Marvel productions can be.

• Coogler would stress out loud about keeping up, literally saying things like, 'Man, I gotta hurry up or I’m gonna get fired.'
• Boseman didn’t let him wallow in that headspace. Instead, according to Coogler, 'He actually pulled me to the side and was like, “Yo, stop saying that, man. I’m not going to let anything happen to you… I’m not letting nobody fire you, bro, so please stop saying that. Relax, man. Do your work, enjoy it.”'
• That wasn’t just pep talk for the moment—it actually broke Coogler out of his anxiety loop, and it’s a tool he still uses now. He said, 'That very act of being present helped me deal with the pressure and finish the film. I think about that all the time. Even walking in here with you. Just being present—I literally learned that from him.'

So What’s the Takeaway Here?

If you ever imagined Chadwick Boseman sitting quietly between takes, just waiting to say his lines, the truth is way more interesting. Apparently, he was the guy making sure his director didn’t melt down under the intensity of making a blockbuster. And that support stuck with Coogler in a way most job lessons don’t.

There’s not a lot of genuine wisdom being handed down in Hollywood, let’s be real. But this is one of those rare cases where someone actually learned something valuable from another person, instead of getting crushed by the pressure. And for Coogler, Chadwick Boseman was the real deal.