Sienna Miller told Empire's Alex Godfrey thatChadwick Boseman got her the salary she asked for on the movie "21 Bridges ."- To do so, he gave up some of his own salary, Miller said.
- She called it "the most astounding thing" she had experienced as an actress.
- "That kind of thing just doesn't happen," Miller said. "He said, 'You're getting paid what you deserve, and what you're worth.'"
Many people in Hollywood have continued to speak about the legacy of the "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer at age 43 in August.
The August issue of Empire was dedicated to Boseman's life and work, and on Monday it revealed one story inside: the actress Sienna Miller's account of working with Boseman in the 2019 cop drama "21 Bridges," for which Boseman was also a producer.
"He produced '21 Bridges,' and had been really active in trying to get me to do it," Miller told the Empire journalist Alex Godfrey. "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."
Miller said she was having trouble with negotiating her contract for the movie, getting stonewalled when it came to her salary. The 38-year-old actress said Boseman stepped in and gave her a piece of his own salary so she would get what she was asking for.
"I think it's a testament to who he was," Miller said. "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."
Looking back, Miller said it was "the most astounding thing" she had experienced as an actress.
"That kind of thing just doesn't happen," she said. "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.'"
Stories of Boseman's generosity have spread since his death. The actor was known for interacting with his fans, including visiting children's hospitals on his press tours for Marvel
Last week, a mural of Boseman in Downtown Disney in California was unveiled, showing Boseman giving the "Wakanda Forever" salute to a young fan wearing a Black Panther mask.
Miller's full interview with Empire will be on newsstands on Thursday.