Here's Another Reason Why Chadwick Boseman Will Be Sorely Missed
A month after his untimely passing, fans across the globe continue to mourn the loss of Chadwick Boseman. His death as a result of stage 4 colon cancer left the world in disbelief, especially considering his strength in continuing his acting work through it all and the secrecy he and his family maintained until the very end. It's still a painful subject to discuss, and for many, it'll take a long time to fully process the loss. In the same token, many admirers of Boseman and his work have come together to begin the healing process — honoring his memory in many beautiful ways over the past few weeks.
In the wake of Boseman's passing, individuals from all walks of life have shared stories about their time with him. Marvel stars like Robert Downey Jr. and Letitia Wright shared deeply personal statements, and Disney recently unveiled a mural at Downtown Disney dedicated to the late actor. Fans have also jumped in with their experiences, telling how the un-recastable King T'Challa positively affected them (be that directly or indirectly), bolstering his reputation as one of the most important figures in Hollywood.
Unsurprisingly, yet another reason to celebrate — and miss — Boseman's kind heart and caring nature just came to light courtesy of Empire.
Chadwick Boseman upped Sienna Miller's salary on 21 Bridges from his own pocket
Last year's 21 Bridges was one of Boseman's biggest movies; he teamed up with MCU mainstays Joe and Anthony Russo, who co-produced the Brian Kirk-directed action-thriller, and hopped in the producer's chair for the third time in his career. In taking the job seriously, Boseman played a hand in casting for 21 Bridges (he himself led the film as New York cop Andre Davis) and lobbied hard to bring Sienna Miller onto the project.
Boseman and Miller were big fans of each other's work, but she was initially hesitant to commit to 21 Bridges, as she recently 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 shared.
Despite her uncertainty, Miller eventually decided to say yes, and thus secured the role of Frankie Burns, a narcotics detective who partners with Boseman's Andre Davis to crack a case. The next issue to work out was pay, which is already an uphill battle for female actors in the industry, and Miller wasn't going to settle for just any number they threw at her.
"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,'" Miller explained, revealing that she "asked for a number that the studio wouldn't get to."
Like a real-life superhero, Boseman stepped in and covered the pay discrepancy himself, reportedly telling Miller, "You're getting paid what you deserve, and what you're worth."
"It was about the most astounding thing that I've experienced. That kind of thing just doesn't happen," Miller said of Boseman's generosity. "It's just unfathomable to imagine another man in that town behaving that graciously or respectfully."
Generosity like that is a rare thing to find, but for Boseman, it was purely second nature. He was a true class act who cared about making a difference in the lives of others. The world can stand to learn a thing or two from a man who had much to overcome in his personal live, but never once put himself before his peers.