Obama, Biden and Harris recall Chadwick Boseman's life

Boseman, best known for playing Black Panther in the hit Marvel superhero franchise, died of cancer aged 43 in Los Angeles.

"Chadwick came to the White House to work with kids when he was playing Jackie Robinson. You could tell right away that he was blessed," Obama, the first Black-American president tweeted.

"To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to do it all while in pain -- what a use of his years," Obama wrote.

Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago but had not made the information public.

California's Indian-American Senator Harris, also the first Black woman to be nominated by a major American political party to be its vice presidential candidate, said she was heartbroken by her friend Boseman's death.

"Heartbroken. My friend and fellow Bison Chadwick Boseman was brilliant, kind, learned, and humble. He left too early but his life made a difference," Harris tweeted.

"From his groundbreaking work in Black Panther to his portrayal of Thurgood Marshall, Chadwick Boseman helped paint a new picture of what's possible. Keeping his family, friends, and fans in my prayers during this difficult time," she wrote in another tweet.

Former vice president Biden, now the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in the November 3 election, said "the true power of Chadwick Boseman was bigger than anything we saw on screen."

"From the Black Panther to Jackie Robinson, he inspired generations and showed them they can be anything they want — even super heroes," he tweeted.

"Jill and I are praying for his loved ones at this difficult time," Biden said in his condolence message on Twitter.