Sienna Miller says a Broadway producer once told her to "fuck off" over an equal pay dispute

Sienna Miller says the disagreement sparked after she was "offered less than half" of what a male costar would earn in a week for the show.

By Hattie Lindert  |  November 3, 2022 | 7:40pm
Aux News Sienna Miller
Sienna Miller says a Broadway producer once told her to
Sienna Miller Photo: Frazer Harrison

Years in the spotlight mean Sienna Miller is no stranger to the callousness of the industry—and the devaluation of her work. In a new interview with British Vogue, the Anatomy Of A Scandal star recalls coming to blows with a Broadway producer several years ago over unequal pay. Per Miller, she was “offered less than half” of what a male co-star would earn each week on the production.

“I said to the producer, who was extremely powerful, it’s not about money—it’s about fairness and respect, thinking they’d come back and say, ‘Of course, of course,’” Miller recalls.

The producer’s reaction wasn’t so understanding—instead, Miller shares, they just said “Well fuck off then.” The show went on, but Miller won’t name any names, insisting she doesn’t want to “be mean.”

Although Miller refrains from specifying exactly which Broadway production was home to the unsavory incident, two main contenders come to mind. After all, Miller has starred in two Broadway shows over her career: 2009's After Miss Julie, which she led opposite Jonny Lee Miller, and a 2015 Cabaret revival. In Cabaret, Miller replaced Michelle Williams in the role of Sally Bowles— her other co-stars included Alan Cumming, Danny Burstein, and Bill Heck.

Miller says that, although she initially “felt terrible about myself and embarrassed,” the dispute proved to be a “pivotal moment” in her career. It’s the first time she cites realizing “I had every right to be equally subsidized for the work that I would have done.”

As time goes on, Miller says she’s recognizing some real change. For one, Miller has since worked with co-stars singing a very different song. Miller recalls that the late Chadwick Boseman reallocated some of his salary from their 2019 film 21 Bridges to guarantee Miller received equal pay.

Miller says she told the Black Panther star back then, “What you did was extraordinary and meant the world.” One filming concluded, Miller says Boseman assured her: “You got paid what you deserved.”

Things aren’t only changing for Miller, however—at least, she doesn’t see it that way. Per Miller, performers who are “ten years younger have the word ‘No’ in their language in a way that I didn’t.”

“[Now] if you say, ‘I don’t feel comfortable’ in front of any form of executive, they’re shitting their pants,” Miller muses. “You’re included in a conversation about your level of comfort. It’s changed everything.”

 
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