John Boyega Speaks Out About His Character’s Treatment in ‘Star Wars’was not in his 2015 breakout role as Finn in—a character that arguably thrust the Peckham-born actor into stardom. It was on June 3, 2020, when Boyega appeared at a Hyde Park rally in London, during the crest of theprotests. “I need you to understand how painful this shit is,” he said at the time in front of a crowd of people, holding back tears.
But the portion of the article receiving the most attention is Boyega’s comments on his role as Finn, which started out in“It’s so difficult to maneuver,” he told GQ. “You get yourself involved in projects and you’re not necessarily going to like everything. [But] 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. It’s not good. I’ll say it straight up.
“Obviously, at the time, I was very genuinely happy to be a part of it,” he said. “But my dad always tells me one thing: ‘Don’t overpay with respect.’ You can pay respect, but sometimes you’ll be overpaying and selling yourself short.” Following the publication of the article, Boyega urged people to read the whole piece and consider the nuance therein, rather than focusing on any potentially drama-inducing soundbites.— John Boyega These conversations and me sharing isn’t about a witch hunt. It’s about clarity to an anger that can be seen as selfish, disruptive and self indulgent. Obviously in hopes of better change.Bruh. In short. I said what I said. Love to you all seriously.