The sudden passing of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman sent a shockwave of grief through Hollywood, with tributes to the actor continuing to emerge. Part of the reason for the shock is due to the fact that hardly anyone even knew that Boseman had been ill, let alone that he had been struggling since as far back as 2016.

Boseman's long-time agent Michael Greene of Greene & Associates Talent Agency has now offered some insight into why so few people knew, putting the decision to keep things under wraps down to Boseman's mother, Carolyn. "[She] always taught him not to have people fuss over him," says Greene. "He also felt in this business that people trip out about things, and he was a very, very private person."

This often meant that Boseman would be struggling while on set, as was the case with the upcoming Netflix movie Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which is due for release later this year. Greene says that Boseman"was really in hard-core pain" but "felt that being able to be with [co-star] Denzel [Washington] and to launch this cycle of [playwright] August Wilson at Netflix was so exciting to him."

Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away on August 28 at the age of 43. The hugely talented actor had been secretly battling colon cancer for the last four years and died surrounded by his wife and family. Boseman battled the disease in secret, not even letting Marvel or Disney know of his situation, with several of his collaborators, including Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and Da 5 Bloods director Spike Lee, both saying they had no idea of his health struggles. The actor had hoped that he would recover, even preparing himself to star in the Black Panther sequel, but sadly this was not meant to be. Boseman's unspoken strength and bravery while facing such impossible odds has proven to be an inspiration to many, with friends, colleagues and fans left in awe of his humility and heroism.

Several of Boseman's MCU co-stars have taken to social media to share how much the actor meant to them, with his Black Panther co-star and onscreen sister, Letitia Wright, posting a deeply emotional tribute saying, "I thought we had more time and many more years to come for more laughter and more moments of me picking on you on set, leaning my head on your shoulders in the throne room as Ryan gave us notes and thought this would be forever. This hurts. I'm trusting God to heal old wounds. It is also written that all things are made new, there is light in the darkness. Streams of living water flow, giving new life. And all that's left now is for us to allow all the seeds that you have planted on the earth to grow, to blossom, to become even more beautiful. You're forever in my heart."

Boseman's friends and family gathered over the weekend for a private memorial service for the actor. Several of Boseman's co-stars including Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, and Winston Duke attended the service to mourn the passing of their friend and colleague.

Michael B. Jordan paid tribute to Boseman upon the news of his passing, with the actor referencing the record-breaking MCU movie. "I'm gonna miss your honesty, your generosity, your sense of humor, and incredible gifts," Jordan said. "I'll miss the gift of sharing space with you in scenes. I'm dedicating the rest of my days to live the way you did. With grace, courage, and no regrets. "Is this your king!?" Yes . he . is! Rest In Power Brother."

This comes to us from The Hollywood Reporter.