John Boyega: Peckham Boy, Star Wars Fan, Kanye Impersonator
Who is everyone’s favorite stormtrooper-turned-Resistance fighter, really?
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened this weekend to rave reviews and a serious showing at the box office. The seventh film in the series broke numerous records with its $238 million debut, the best domestic opening weekend of all time. Featuring new stars like Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, as well as established legends Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, The Force Awakens is set to be the cornerstone upon which Disney will build their chapter of the Star Wars franchise. Boyega in particular impressed audiences with his charisma and comedic ability, two key tenets of Star Wars that were distinctly missing in the prequel trilogy. So, who is John Boyega, really?
He's a boy from Peckham in south-east London. (BRRRAP)
He's a big Sway In The Morning fan, with a killer Kanye impression. (skip to the 1-minute mark)
He's a Star Wars fan first and foremost.
He has no time for racists and bigots.
In an interview with The New York Times, Boyega was asked how people threatening to boycott the movie because of his leading role made him feel. "It made me feel fine," he responded. "I’m grounded in who I am, and I am a confident black man. A confident, Nigerian, black, chocolate man. I’m proud of my heritage, and no man can take that away from me. I wasn’t raised to fear people with a difference of opinion. They are merely victims of a disease in their mind. To get into a serious dialogue with people who judge a person based on the melanin in their skin? They’re stupid, and I’m not going to lose sleep over people. The presale tickets have gone through the roof — their agenda has failed. Miserably."