The 2014 role Chadwick Boseman would only play on one condition: “That was a deal-breaker”

Chadwick Boseman, best known for playing Marvel's Black Panther, was known throughout his career for prioritising integrity over convenience, and this extended to a firm condition he set before agreeing to appear in the 2014 sports drama Draft Day alongside Kevin Costner. Boseman insisted that the phone-call scenes between his character and Costner's be filmed with both actors present together rather than shot separately and edited together afterwards, as is standard practice. He made clear this was non-negotiable, saying he would not do the film otherwise, underlining his broader reputation for conviction, including giving up part of his own salary on 21 Bridges so co-star Sienna Miller could be paid fairly.

In Draft Day, Boseman played a college linebacker with NFL aspirations who spends much of the film on the phone with Costner's character, the general manager of the Cleveland Browns. Boseman explained that he saw little point in appearing in a film with Costner if the pair were not genuinely interacting, and he got his wish, with the two actors filming their calls together in the same space. The film itself was only modestly received and underperformed at the box office, but the anecdote reflects the principled approach Boseman took throughout his short but influential career, which also included donating millions to charity and playing real-life figures such as Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall.