In 2019, actress Sienna Miller shared a touching story about her experience working with Chadwick Boseman on 21 Bridges. The movie was important to both of them. Good roles. Good script. Good opportunity. But there was a problem. Hollywood’s problem. The pay gap. Sienna was being offered less than what her role deserved. Less than what a male actor in an equivalent role would make. Less than what was fair. And she knew it. But studios often count on actors not knowing. Or not speaking up. Or accepting less because getting the role feels more important than fighting for fair compensation.
Boseman took part of his own salary and added it to hers to ensure she received fair compensation for her role. Not after she asked. Not after she complained. Just did it. Saw the disparity. Saw the unfairness. And instead of saying that’s not my problem or that’s just how Hollywood works, he did something about it. He took money from his own paycheck. Money he’d earned. Money he deserved. And gave it to his co-star so she’d be paid fairly. Because that’s what equity looks like. Not just talking about fairness. But sacrificing to create it.
Known for his commitment to uplifting others, Chadwick recognized the importance of equity and made sure his female co-star was properly valued. This wasn’t an isolated incident. This was character. This was values lived consistently. Chadwick was known for this. For caring about his colleagues. For understanding that his success didn’t happen in isolation and shouldn’t exist in isolation. For using his power and platform not just to benefit himself, but to create fairness for others who might not have the same leverage.
This act of generosity exemplifies his quiet advocacy for fairness in Hollywood and his desire to support his colleagues. Quiet is the key word. He didn’t announce this. Didn’t make a public show of it. Didn’t use it for publicity or praise. He just did it. Sienna Miller is the one who shared the story after his death, wanting people to know what kind of man he was. What kind of colleague. What kind of human. But Chadwick himself never mentioned it. Because for him, this wasn’t about recognition. It was about doing the right thing when you have the power to do it.
The pay gap in Hollywood is well-documented. Women, especially women of color, consistently make less than their male counterparts for equivalent work. It’s systemic. It’s persistent. And it’s exactly the kind of problem that requires people with power to actively work against. Chadwick had power. Not infinite power. Not studio-executive power. But he had leverage. Had a salary he could negotiate. And instead of just maximizing his own compensation, he thought about the whole picture. About whether his co-star was being treated fairly. And when he realized she wasn’t, he fixed it. With his own money.
Sienna Miller’s revelation came after Chadwick’s death in 2020. He died far too young. 43 years old. Colon cancer. And the world mourned not just the loss of an incredible actor, but the loss of an incredible person. Someone who used his platform for good. Who lifted others. Who fought for equity even when it cost him personally. The story about his salary sacrifice became one of many that painted a picture of a man who lived his values. Who didn’t just talk about justice and fairness but actively created it wherever he could.
This act exemplifies quiet advocacy. That’s what makes it so powerful. Loud advocacy is important. Public statements matter. But quiet advocacy—the kind where you sacrifice personally, where you don’t seek recognition, where you just do the right thing because it’s right—that’s profound. That’s the kind of integrity that actually changes systems. Because it’s not performative. It’s not done for credit. It’s done because someone with the power to create fairness chose to use that power, even at personal cost.
The story also highlights how change happens in industries. Not just through policy. Not just through public pressure. But through individuals making different choices. If more actors like Chadwick took parts of their salaries to ensure fair compensation for colleagues. If more people with leverage used it to create equity rather than just maximize personal benefit. If more individuals quietly advocated through action rather than just words. Systems would change. Slowly. But meaningfully.
Thank you, Chadwick Boseman. For seeing unfairness and addressing it. For taking money from your own salary to ensure a colleague was paid fairly. For demonstrating that equity isn’t just something to support in theory—it’s something to create in practice, even when it costs you personally. For being the kind of colleague, the kind of man, who lifted others. Who fought for fairness. Who used power to create justice. Your legacy isn’t just the incredible performances. It’s the lives you touched. The equity you created. The example you set. Rest in power.