Chadwick Boseman took a pay cut so that Sienna Miller could be paid what she deserved, read her remembrance
In her remembrance of the late Chadwick Boseman, his 21 Bridges co-star Sienna Miller has recalled how he took a pay cut so that she could be compensated fairly. “It was about the most astounding thing that I’ve experienced,” she said.
Actor Sienna Miller in a remembrance for the late Chadwick Boseman, has said that he took a pay cut for her to be compensated fairly for her work on their film, 21 Bridges. Sienna said that she’d quoted a figure that the studio wasn’t keen on, and Chadwick, as one of the producers of the film, ensured that she be a part of it by diverting some of the money they were going to pay him.
“He produced 21 Bridges, and had been really active in trying to get me to do it,” she told Empire. “He was a fan of my work, which was thrilling, because it was reciprocated from me to him, tenfold. So he approached me to do it, he offered me this film, and it was at a time when I really didn’t want to work anymore. I’d been working non-stop and I was exhausted, but then I wanted to work with him.”
She continued, “I didn’t know whether or not to tell this story, and I haven’t yet. But I am going to tell it, because I think it’s a testament to who he was. This was a pretty big budget film, and I know that everybody understands about the pay disparity in Hollywood, but I asked for a number that the studio wouldn’t get to. And because I was hesitant to go back to work and my daughter was starting school and it was an inconvenient time, I said, ‘I’ll do it if I’m compensated in the right way.’ And Chadwick ended up donating some of his salary to get me to the number that I had asked for. He said that that was what I deserved to be paid.”
Sienna added, “It was about the most astounding thing that I’ve experienced. That kind of thing just doesn’t happen. He said, ‘You’re getting paid what you deserve, and what you’re worth.’ It’s just unfathomable to imagine another man in that town behaving that graciously or respectfully. In the aftermath of this I’ve told other male actor friends of mine that story and they all go very, very quiet and go home and probably have to sit and think about things for a while. But there was no showiness, it was, ‘Of course I’ll get you to that number, because that’s what you should be paid.’”
Also read: Robert Downey Jr joins the Avengers in paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman: ‘He changed the game’
Chadwick died in August after a private, four-year battle with cancer. “It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV,” his family said in a statement. The actor was best known for playing Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. His last release was Da 5 Bloods, directed by Spike Lee. His final screen appearance will be in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
