John Boyega
Birthdate: Mar 17, 1992
Birthplace: Peckham, London, England, UK
John Boyega (birthname: John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega) is a British actor who has made a strong impact on and off screen, most visibly in his recurring role as Finn aka FN-2187 in three Star Wars movies and a Star Wars spinoff TV series. Boyega has deployed his fame to be one of the strongest advocates in Hollywood for Black Lives Matter in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. Fresh out of university, Boyega made an immediate impression as Moses in Joe Cornish’s crackerjack alien invasion thriller, Attack the Block (2011).
Boyega, the child of Nigerian parents, had a supporting role in the Nigerian-U.K. production of Biyi Bandele’s adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun (2013), with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandiwe Newton. Boyega’s first starring role was in Malik Vitthal’s American indie feature which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and appeared on Netflix, Imperial Dreams (2014), with Keke Palmer and Glenn Plummer.
Starting in 2015, John Boyega’s movies were significantly higher-profile, starting with his big break as Finn in J.J. Abrams’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)—and being the first Black actor with a major role in a Star Wars movie. Boyega proceeded to co-star with Tom Hanks and Karen Gillan in James Ponsoldt’s futurist drama, The Circle (2017), followed by a striking, starring performance in Kathryn Bigelow’s blistering drama, Detroit (2017), with Algee Smith, Will Poulter, Jacob Latimore, and Jason Mitchell. Returning to the Star Wars universe, John Boyega portrayed Finn under Rian Johnson’s direction in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, with Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Mark Hammill, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, and Andy Serkis.
It was a different, relatively upstart sci-fi franchise, with Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), where Boyega—increasingly a fan favorite with the Comic-Con crowd--landed next, topping a cast (as well as producing) including Scott Eastwood, Jing Tian, Rinko Kikuchi, and Adria Arjona. Sadly, for Pacific Rim fans, Uprising would mark the end of the line for the franchise, having delivered an underperforming global gross of $290 million.
John Boyega’s third Star Wars film and his second with director J.J. Abrams was Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), with new cast members Billy Dee Williams, Keri Russell, and Richard E. Grant. Boyega took on a less conventional role as a samurai-wielding New York public defender in Chase Palmer’s Naked Singularity (2021), with Olivia Cooke, Bill Skarsgård, and Tim Blake Nelson. Boyega starred in Abi Damaris Corbin’s true-crime thriller recalling Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Breaking (originally titled 892), which premiered under the original title at the Sundance Film Festival and featured the late Michael Kenneth Williams.
The epic-scaled historical saga, The Woman King (2022), starring Viola Davis and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, was Boyega’s second African-set movie. Boyega’s third 2022 feature is debuting writer-director Juel Taylor’s sci-fi comedy, They Cloned Tyrone, with Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris. Boyega is set to star in writer-director Gavin Hood’s political drama, The Test (date to be announced), with Payman Maadi. Returning to his movie roots, Boyega is slated to star in Joe Cornish’s sequel, Attack the Block 2 (date to be announced).
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Personal Details
John Boyega was born in London and raised by Nigerian-born parents Samson and Abigail Adegboyega. Boyega is the youngest sibling of three, with two older sisters, Grace and Blessing. While attending grade school and middle school, Boyega’s performing talents were spotted by Theatre Peckham artistic director Teresa Early, who recruited Boyega to train in her theater for young people.
Boyega attended and graduated from Westminster City School, performing in many live stage productions, and moved on to South Thames College, earning a National Diploma in Performing Arts. He cut short his studies in film and media writing at the University of Greenwich to launch his acting career, while studying at the Identity School of Acting in London. His height is 5’ 9”.
Filmography
actor
Previous (10)
- 2023 | They Cloned TyroneasFontaine
They Cloned Tyrone
A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy in this pulpy mystery caper.
- 2022 | The Woman KingasKing Ghezo
The Woman King
A historical epic inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.
- 2022 |
- 2021 | Naked SingularityasCasi
Naked Singularity
An idealistic young New York City public defender burned out by the system, on the brink of disbarment, and seeing signs of the universe collapsing all around him decides to rob a multi-million drug deal of one of his clients.
- 2019 | Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of SkywalkerasFinn
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
In the riveting conclusion of the landmark Skywalker saga, new legends will be born-and the final battle for freedom is yet to come.
- 2018 | Pacific Rim: UprisingasJake Pentecost
Pacific Rim: Uprising
Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Lambert and 15-year-old hacker Amara, against a new Kaiju threat.
- 2017 | Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last JediasFinn
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
Rey develops her abilities with the help of Luke Skywalker, as the Resistance prepares for battle against the First Order.
- 2017 |
- 2017 | The CircleasTy
The Circle
A woman lands a dream job at a powerful tech company called the Circle, only to uncover an agenda that will affect the lives of all of humanity.
- 2015 | Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force AwakensasFinn
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
As a new threat to the galaxy rises, Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, must join Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace.
Some Facts About John Boyega
Religious Upbringing: John Boyega was raised in a Pentecostal household since his father Samson is a Pentecostal minister.
Living Dry: Boyega does not drink alcohol.
Going Public: John Boyega publicly shamed Disney for shelving the character of Finn in future Star Wars movies, underlining the lack of foresight in having created (and loudly publicized) the franchise’s first Black role and then canceling it.
Mutual Love Affair: Despite the above note, Boyega has commented in interviews that “Hollywood has given me a great, warm hug.”
