Daniel Kaluuya talks about how Chadwick Boseman called him “Big Bro-ed.”

Daniel Kaluuya talks openly about his relationship with Chadwick Boseman, opening doors for black actors in Hollywood and the differences between the US and UK sets.

The actor, writer and producer spoke at the BFI London Film Festival event at Picturehouse Central in Soho on Wednesday with fellow actress and longtime friend Ashley Walters, who called Kaluuya “one of the most inspiring people I know.”

When asked about meeting Boseman, Kaluuya was full of praise. Boseman died at age 43 in 2020 after a private battle with colon cancer. The two collaborated on the Marvel set, where Kaluuya played W'Kabi. “Meeting Chad was a pivotal moment in my life,” Kaluuya said. “I remember we had dinner and I sat across from him. He could see that my life was changing and I didn't know it. He came over and I was about to go on a press tour and I didn't have a publicist [Laughs.] He came closer and saw that I needed help and guidance and I didn't have to ask. And I didn't know how to ask.”

“He acted as a big brother to me, he helped me,” he continued. “Then Go out he came out and gave a speech on my birthday, it was so touching. He was an incredible leader on set and I really felt for him because doing that Marvel stuff is a job. It's difficult. Especially doing the action sequences in those clothes when it's hot, it's hard on the body… Knowing that he did it while he was going through what he was going through, I don't really have the words to describe it.

“He just gave everything, drove very nobly. He always brought people together… He always had time for everyone. Him and Lupita [Nyong’o]they were always going back and forth and just knew my life was changing.

Kaluuya, famous for his performances in Jordan Peele Go out, UsAND Noas well as Shaka King's Judas and the Black Messiah – who gave the Englishman an Oscar – told Walters that he feels the burden of representing the black community in entertainment. “When I play a role, I think, what am I telling people? [Judas and the Black Messiah] it was big. Someone once said something like, “our job is to save wisdom from the past.” I felt it when I read this script… But yes, I feel responsible in a good way. I want to make sure the things I do resonate with the people who talk to me or watch me.

The star also discussed the difference between filming in the US and filming in the UK, highlighting the discrepancy in anxiety levels due to the country's conflicting health insurance stances (in the UK, healthcare is free through the NHS national). “The big one is health insurance, to be honest, there's a lot more anxiety in America, because there's a lot at stake… [In the U.K.] I think there is a better work-life balance.”

“And that's why I fell in love with this industry,” he continued. “This job is about working with a team of people, laughing and having something to be proud of. Yes. In America you work a little more alone or with the director. It's very cut off. And then if you act like you're okay with everyone, everyone looks at you a little strangely. But I think the opportunities in America are incredible… There are pros and cons to both.”

Kaluuya has spoken extensively about putting an American accent into his films, explaining that he uses a generic accent based on where he thinks he would have grown up if he had been born a black American and then gone regional. He also talked about director Steve McQueen, who he described as “a legendary guy.”

When discussing his role in Go outKaluuya said he “wanted that thought-provoking film. I wanted to feel the work… That's why when I got the role I thought, “Wow, that's cool.” I want to lock myself in.” With the American accent, I wanted to sound thin, so when he fights to the end it's a surprise. When Walters asked what was next for Kaluuya, he said: “Writing is my thing, and directing is my thing , producing is my thing… I have no limits [figure out] what makes sense. How do I serve and how do I speak to the people I want to speak to?”