Viola Davis will always remember Chadwick Boseman’s “integrity”

Speaking to Oprah Winfrey for an ‘OWN Spotlight’ special, she said: “What I'll remember about his legacy is his integrity. There's not a lot of integrity out there. I think it takes a lot of courage to be authentic."

‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ was the final film Chadwick took part in before his death, and Viola believes that throughout his impressive career – which included a starring role in the hit Marvel movie ‘Black Panther’ – being famous was never his priority.

She added: "I just felt that he was not interested in being a movie star as much as he was concerned with being a really great artist.”

Viola has been heaping praise on Chadwick following his passing, and previously said she felt she was "in the presence of greatness" when she starred alongside him.

She said: "To work with Chadwick is to be in the presence of greatness, really.

"And I actually don’t see him tragically - I know he lost his life at 43 - because of what he did with the time he had."

Davis also appeared opposite Boseman in James Brown biopic 'Get on Up', in which he portrayed the music icon and she played his mum Susie Brown.

She explained: "I played his mom, so I was always calling in my baby. I always sort of saw him like that.

"I probably would not have said that to him because he may have cringed."

And the 55-year-old actress admitted she broke down when she heard Chadwick had died, but paid tribute to the late 'Black Panther' star for living his life "with the utmost integrity".

She said: "I broke down when I heard he passed. Lord knows we all would've wanted him to live another 50 years. We all want longevity.

"I felt like he was always living in the moment, squeezing out every bit of life. What it makes me think is, it's not the quantity, it's the quality.

"I would say his professional life has absolutely paralleled his personal life, that's my guess, in terms of how he lived with the utmost integrity."