Michael B. Jordan Reveals Poignant Lesson He Learned from Chadwick Boseman: 'Life Is Short'

"You have a limited amount of time with the people you love and the things you love to do," the Creed III actor said

Michael B. Jordan is reflecting on the time he knew he and his "special" Black Panther costar Chadwick Boseman were bonded forever.

"There was a moment on the press tour — we were backstage, we were in London, and we were getting ready to watch the movie for the first time together," the Creed III actor, 36, said on Tuesday's episode of The View.

"And we looked at each other like, 'We're connected for the rest of our lives,' " Jordan added. "I just remember sitting there and having a real connection, a real moment, with him."

The exchange came before Boseman disclosed to his Black Panther family that he was sick, Jordan said. The actor died in August 2020 at age 43, after a four-year battle with colon cancer.

"Obviously [I] knew nothing at the time, had no idea, so when things unfolded the way they did and we unfortunately lost him, it really stuck with me," Jordan said on The View.

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Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan attend The Cinema Society with Ravage Wines & Synchrony host the after party for Marvel Studios' "Black Panther" at The Skylark on February 13, 2018 in New York City. Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan attend The Cinema Society with Ravage Wines & Synchrony host the after party for Marvel Studios' "Black Panther" at The Skylark on February 13, 2018 in New York City.
Michael B. Jordan and Chadwick Boseman in 2018. Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Jordan said Boseman "kept the secret" of his illness "for such a long time," and all the while "was such a hard worker" who "worked up until the very last moment of his life" — something that Jordan considered an inspiration to those around him.

"That's what he left for us: Every moment that you get, make the most of it," he said. "Life is short — you have a limited amount of time with the people you love and the things you love to do. So make it worth it and make it count. That's what I carry with me as I move forward."

Boseman and Jordan go way back. Years before the pair shared the screen together in Black Panther, the two actors played the same role on All My Children, albeit at different times.

Reflecting on their enduring bond in a 2019 birthday post to Jordan on Instagram, Boseman wrote, "What a journey it's been. Happy birthday, brother."

Jordan starred as Erik "Killmonger" Stevens in 2019's Black Panther, and reprised the villainous role in a surprise dream-sequence cameo in last year's sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which paid major tribute to Boseman's King T'Challa character.

2018 State Farm All-Star Saturday Night 2018 State Farm All-Star Saturday Night
Michael B. Jordan and Chadwick Boseman in 2018. Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Back in February 2021, Jordan opened up in Vanity Fair's annual "Hollywood Issue" about how hard he took Boseman's death, which had occurred just months earlier.

"Our relationship was a very personal one and had a lot of great moments — some that I couldn't fully appreciate and fully understand until now," he said. "I wish I had more time to have our relationship evolve, and grow, and become closer and stronger."

"We got a concentrated dose of Chadwick. He did more in his 43 years of life than most people have done in a lifetime," Jordan continued. "And he was here for the time he was supposed to be here, and he had his impact, and his legacy. That was clear with the abundance of love that he has gotten from people all over the world. There are generations of kids coming up that look to him. It's incredible."

"And losing him was … Yeah, man, it hurt. It hurt a lot. That's probably what made me cry the most this year," the actor added.

Creed III is in theaters March 3.

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