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John Boyega, who is known for his portrayal as Stormtrooper Finn in the Star Wars trilogy, has spoken against racism in the film.
During an appearance in the new Apple TV+ documentary, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, he criticized the franchise's lack of inclusivity and the treatment of Black characters. Boyega said,
"Lemme tell ya, Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space. It's a franchise that's so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something."
He further called out certain fans who were critical of Black actors and could not accept them in leading roles, according to a report in Entertainment Weekly.
Boyega stated,
"They're okay with us playing the best friend, but once we touch their heroes, once we lead, once we trailblaze, it's like, 'Oh my God, it's just a bit too much! They're pandering!'"
After quitting the Star Wars trilogy, the 33-year-old stepped into activism. He delivered an emotional speech during a Black Lives Matter protest in London in 2020, where he spoke about experiencing racism and how “painful” it is following George Floyd's death.
It earned him widespread praise from Hollywood figures, including Star Wars director J.J. Abrams and actor Mark Hamill, as per the Los Angeles Times. He reportedly landed roles in films such as The Woman King and Breaking.
Boyega has been vocal about the issue since 2020; he has spoken about the racism he experienced and how it had impacted his career. Here is what we know.
What else has John Boyega said about facing racism in the film industry?
Earlier in 2015, a report in The Guardian indicated that on the release of the first part of the Star Wars trilogy, fans boycotted John Boyega for being in the film. The hashtag #BoycottStarWarsVII started to trend on social media. They claimed that the film promoted “anti-white propaganda.”
According to a report in Esquire, the actor was introduced as a leading hero in The Force Awakens, but in the subsequent sequels (The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker), he was relegated to a sidekick.
During a GQ interview in 2020, John Boyega openly criticized Disney for its treatment of characters of color in the Star Wars franchise, particularly his own role as Finn.
“What I would say to Disney is do not bring out a Black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side.”
Boyega bluntly said,
“It’s not good. I’ll say it straight up.”
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Eventually, he decided to quit the trilogy and landed his first role in 2020 in the director Steve McQueen's Red, White and Blue. He plays Leroy Logan, a research scientist who joins the Metropolitan Police in the '80s with the hope of reforming the institution, as per a report in Looper.
Attack the Block (2011), The Woman King (2022), Breaking (2022), They Cloned Tyrone (2023), Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) are some of his other work credits, as per IMDb.
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