John Boyega

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Boyega

Boyega at the 2015

San Diego Comic-Con International

Born John Adedayo B Adegboyega

17 March 1992 (age 25)

Peckham, London, England

Alma mater University of Greenwich

Occupation Actor

Years active 2011–present

John Adedayo B. Adegboyega (born 17 March 1992), known professionally as John Boyega, is an
English actor best known for playing Finn in the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the seventh
film of the Star Wars series, and its 2017 sequel Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Boyega rose to prominence in
his native United Kingdom for his role as Moses in the 2011 sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block.
Boyega's other credits include historical drama film Detroit (2017), four episodes of the television
series 24: Live Another Day and the drama Imperial Dreams (2014).

Contents
[hide]

 1Early life
 2Career
 3Filmography
o 3.1Film
 o 3.2Television
o 3.3Stage
o 3.4Video games
o 3.5Theme park attractions
 4References
 5External links

Early life
Boyega was born in Peckham, London, England on 17 March 1992 to British Nigerian parents, Abigail
(née Aboderin), and Samson Adegboyega, a Pentecostal minister.[1][2] His first role was a leopard in a
play at his primary school.[3][4]
Boyega was a pupil at Oliver Goldsmith Primary School. While acting in a play there at the age of nine,
he was noticed by Teresa Early, the artistic director of Theatre Peckham, a learning theatre for young
people who live in south London. After obtaining financial assistance from a hardship fund, he joined the
theatre, spending his time there outside school hours between the ages of nine and 14. Boyega's father,
a preacher, had wanted Boyega to become a preacher too, but was supportive of his son's theatrical
interests.[5][6][7][8]
In 2003, Boyega started his secondary education at Westminster City School, where he took part in
various school productions.[9] Between 2008 and 2010, he attended South Thames College at the
college's Wandsworth campus to study for a National Diploma in Performing Arts.[10] His activities at the
college included playing the title role in the college's production of Othello.[11] He then enrolled at
the University of Greenwich to study BA Film Studies & Media Writing,[12] though he later dropped out of
the course to focus on his acting career.[6]

Career
Sundance Film Festival, 2014: John Boyega (2nd from the left), together with Josh Wiggins, Kodi Smit-McPheeand
Sharon Swart (from the left to the right)

Boyega trained at the Identity School of Acting in Hackney,[13] and appeared in Six Parties at the National
Theatre and Category B at the Tricycle Theatre prior to being offered a role in the 2011 film Attack the
Block.[14][15] In September 2011, HBO announced that Boyega had been cast in the boxing drama pilot Da
Brick, loosely based on Mike Tyson's life. Boyega was expected to play Donnie, who is released from
a juvenile detention centre on his 18th birthday and begins to examine what it means to be a man. The
pilot was written by John Ridley,[16]but was not picked up by HBO.[17] Also in 2011, he acted in the
film Junkhearts in which he portrayed Jamal, a drug dealer who finds some guns and tries to sell them.
Boyega was chosen by Fionnuala Halligan of Screen International as one of the "UK Stars of Tomorrow
2011" and appeared alongside two other actors on the front cover of that magazine in its July 2011
edition.[18]
In March 2012, Boyega was cast in the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's book Half of a
Yellow Sun.[19]
On 29 April 2014, it was confirmed that Boyega had been cast as a lead character in Star Wars: The
Force Awakens.[20] It was later revealed Boyega would play Finn, a stormtrooper for the First Order, who
leaves the military power after witnessing their cruelty in his first combat mission before joining the fight
against them. The film was released on 18 December 2015. Both the film and Boyega's performance
received acclaim from both audiences and critics.[21][22]
Boyega has stated in an interview that he is a fan of Marvel Comics, and that he had hoped to play the
Marvel character Black Panther.[23]
In January 2016, Boyega formed his own production company, Upperroom Entertainment Limited. In
June 2016, Boyega announced that his company would be co-producing the sequel to the 2013
movie Pacific Rim titled Pacific Rim: Uprising alongside Legendary Entertainment.[24] Boyega will also
play the lead role in the project.[25]
In 2017, Boyega starred in Detroit, Kathryn Bigelow's film about the 1967 Detroit riots.[26] The same year,
he reprised his role as Finn in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.[27]

Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Director Notes

Black Reel Award for Best Actor

Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best
Breakthrough Performance
Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best
Ensemble
Nominated – British Independent Film Award
for Most Promising Newcomer
Attack the Block Moses Joe Cornish
Nominated – Empire Award for Best Male
Newcomer
2011 Nominated – Evening Standard British Film
Award for Most Promising Newcomer
Nominated – London Film Critics' Circle
Award for Young British Performer of the
Year

Tinge
Junkhearts Jamal
Krishnan

Half of a Yellow
2013 Ugwu Biyi Bandele
Sun

2014 Imperial Dreams Bambi Malik Vitthal

BAFTA Rising Star Award[28]

Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer[29]
Nominated – Georgia Film Critics Association
for Best Ensemble[30]
Nominated – Golden Schmoes Award for
Breakthrough Performance[31]
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best
Star Wars: The FN-2187 /
2015 J. J. Abrams Breakthrough Performance
Force Awakens Finn
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best
Action Performance
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best
Ensemble
Nominated – Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award
for Favorite Movie Actor[32]
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor[33][34]

James
The Circle Ty
Ponsoldt

Melvin Kathryn
2017 Detroit
Dismukes Bigelow

Star Wars: The

Finn Rian Johnson
Last Jedi
Year Title Role Director Notes

Pacific Rim: Jake Steven S. Also producer

2018
Uprising Pentecost DeKnight Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes

2011 Da Brick Donnie Pilot

2011 Becoming Human Danny Curtis 4 episodes

2011 Law & Order: UK Jamal Clarkson Episode: "Survivor's Guilt"

Shakilus
2012 My Murder Television film
Townsend

2013 The Whale William Bond Television film

2014 24: Live Another Day Chris Tanner 4 episodes

2015 Major Lazer Blkmrkt (voice) 10 episodes

Segment: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens Screen

2015 Saturday Night Live Himself
Tests"

2016 Tinkershrimp & Dutch[35] Dutch (voice) 5 episodes

2017 Watership Down Bigwig (voice) 4 episodes

Star Wars Forces of

2017 Finn[36]
Destiny

Stage

Year Title Role Notes

2010 Othello Othello South Thames College

Year Title Role Notes

2017 Woyzeck Woyzeck Old Vic Theatre[37]

Video games

Year Title Role Notes

2015 Disney Infinity 3.0 Finn Voice

2016 Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens Finn Voice

Theme park attractions

Year Title Role Notes

Star Tours–The Adventures Scene added for seasonal Season of the

2015 Finn
Continue Force promotion

References
1. Jump up^ Itzkoff, Dave (22 July 2011). "John Boyega in Joe Cornish's
'Attack the Block'". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
2. Jump up^ Okoroafor, Cynthia (17 December 2015). "Star Wars opens
today, and star Nigerian John Boyega is stealing the spotlight".
VENTURES AFRICA. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
3. Jump up^ "The Attack of John Boyega". Interview. 29 July 2011.
Retrieved 24 June 2012.
4. Jump up^ Brown, Emma (28 January 2014). "John Boyega: The Best of
Next". Interview. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
5. Jump up^ Palmer, Jim (8 December 2015). "Everything you need to know
about John Boyega – from Peckham to Wandsworth to Greenwich to Star
Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens". News Shopper. Retrieved 31
January 2016.
6. ^ Jump up to:a b Turner, Camilla (24 April 2015). "Star Wars: John Boyega,
the boy from Peckham who stormed Hollywood". The Daily Telegraph.
Retrieved 22 October 2015.
7. Jump up^ Turner, Camilla (25 April 2015). "Star Wars: Five things you
didn't know about John Boyega". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22
October 2015.
8. Jump up^ "Theatre Peckham". Theatre Peckham. Retrieved 31
January 2016.
9. Jump up^ "Memorable OWCs". Old Westminster Citizens' Association.
Retrieved 31 January2016.
10. Jump up^ "From South Thames to Star Wars: college star lands role in a
Galaxy Far Far Away". South Thames College. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 31
January 2016.
11. Jump up^ "Back to college for Star Wars actor". South Thames College.
16 November 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
12. Jump up^ "The Force is strong with Greenwich". University of Greenwich.
17 December 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
13. Jump up^ "Hall of Fame". identitydramaschool.com. 2012. Archived
from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
14. Jump up^ "Attack the Block feature item". dvd365.net. 2012. Retrieved 25
June 2012.
 15. Jump up^ Yamato, Jen (1 August 2011). "Attack the Block's John Boyega
on Going 'From Hoodie to Hero,' and Taking Hollywood by
Storm". Movieline. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
16. Jump up^ Wightman, Catriona (1 September 2011). "John Boyega to star
in Mike Tyson, Spike Lee HBO pilot 'Da Brick' – US TV News". Digital Spy.
Retrieved 24 June 2012.
17. Jump up^ Jeffery, Morgan (14 March 2012). "'Da Brick': HBO passes on
Mike Tyson boxing drama – US TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24
June 2012.
18. Jump up^ "Stars of Tomorrow 2011". Screen Daily. 30 June 2011.
Retrieved 8 December 2014.
19. Jump up^ Pearson, Ben (29 March 2012). "Attack the Block star John
Boyega joins Half of a Yellow Sun". Filmonic. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
20. Jump up^ "Star Wars: Episode VII Cast Announced". StarWars.com. 29
April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
21. Jump up^ Bradshaw, Peter. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens review – 'a
spectacular homecoming'". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media
Limited. Retrieved 18 January2016.
22. Jump up^ McWeeny, Drew (December 16, 2015). "Review: JJ Abrams
breathes new life into 'Star Wars' with 'The Force Awakens'". HitFix.
Retrieved December 19, 2015.
23. Jump up^ "Get to know 'Star Wars' star John Boyega". CNN. Breeanna
Hare, CNN. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
24. Jump up^ @JohnBoyega (6 June 2016). "So happy! My company
UpperRoom Productions founded by myself & @MrFemiOguns, will co-
produce #PacificRim2 alongside @Legendary"(Tweet) – via Twitter.
25. Jump up^ Fleming, Mike (2016-06-06). "'Star Wars' Star John Boyega
Takes Lead In 'Pacific Rim' Sequel". Deadline. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
26. Jump up^ [1]
27. Jump up^ Cohen, Sandy (15 December 2017). "John Boyega talks 'Last
Jedi,' personal parallels". The Advocate. Associated Press.
28. Jump up^ BAFTA Editors (January 5, 2016). "EE Rising Star Award in
2016". British Academy Film Awards. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
29. Jump up^ John Nugent (March 11, 2016). "Jameson Empire Awards
2016: Star Wars and Mad Max lead the nominations". Empire Awards.
Retrieved February 18, 2016.
30. Jump up^ Georgia Film Critics Association Editors (January 4,
2016). "Georgia Film Critics Association 2015 Awards". Georgia Film
Critics Association. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
31. Jump up^ Berge Garabedian (January 8, 2016). "Golden Schmoes 2015
Awards". Golden Schmoes. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
32. Jump up^ Lovett, Jamie (February 18, 2016). "Kids' Choice Awards:
Adele, Justin Bieber, 'Star Wars' Among Nominees". The Hollywood
Reporter. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
33. Jump up^ "Saturn Award nominations". Saturn Awards. February 24,
2016.
34. Jump up^ "Saturn Award nominations on YouTube". Saturn Awards.
February 24, 2016.
35. Jump up^ Sarah Deen (5 January 2016). "John Boyega joins
Nickelodeon's Tinkershrimp & Dutch". Metro.co.uk.
36. Jump up^ Errico, Marcus (July 3, 2017). "New Star Wars Cartoon Shorts
Debut Online, Bringing Female Heroes in Full Force". Yahoo!.
Retrieved July 5, 2017.
37. Jump up^ "John Boyega to star in Woyzeck at the Old Vic
Theatre". Tuppence Magazine. March 18, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2017.

External links
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to John
Boyega.

 John Boyega on IMDb

[show]
 BAFTA Rising Star Award

[show]

Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer

[show]

Trophée Chopard

dCat Identities

: 187182175

N: no2011167699

0000 0003 5757 7209

OC: 181325691

cb165804505 (data)

XX5224596
Categories:
 1992 births
 21st-century English male actors
 BAFTA winners (people)
 Black English male actors
 Black British male actors
 English male film actors
 English male television actors
 English male voice actors
 English people of Nigerian descent
 English people of Yoruba descent
 Living people
 Male actors from London
 People from Peckham
 Star Wars people
Navigation menu
 Not logged in

 Talk

 Contributions

 Create account

 Log in
  Article
 Talk
 Read
 View source
 View history
Search
Go

 Main page
 Contents
 Featured content
 Current events
 Random article
 Donate to Wikipedia
 Wikipedia store
Interaction
 Help
 About Wikipedia
 Community portal
 Recent changes
 Contact page
Tools
 What links here
 Related changes
 Upload file
 Special pages
 Permanent link
 Page information
 Wikidata item
 Cite this page
Print/export
 Create a book
 Download as PDF
 Printable version
In other projects
 Wikimedia Commons
Languages
 ‫العربية‬
 Català
 Čeština
 Dansk
 Deutsch
 Ελληνικά
 Español
 ‫فارسی‬
 Français
 한국어
 Bahasa Indonesia
 Italiano
 ‫עברית‬
 ქართული
 Magyar
 Nederlands
 日本語
 Norsk
 Polski
 Português
 Русский
 Simple English
 Српски / srpski
 Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
 Suomi
 Svenska
 Українська
 中文
Edit links
 This page was last edited on 20 December 2017, at 01:17.
 Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms
may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is
a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

 Privacy policy

 About Wikipedia

 Disclaimers

 Contact Wikipedia

 Developers

 Cookie statement

 Mobile view

 Enable previews