Member-only story
John Boyega Will No Longer ‘Protest Quietly’
The actor and activist doesn’t mince words when it comes to his treatment as a pivotal Black character in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise
The mask is off for John Boyega.
In the current issue of British GQ, the actor shares what made him stand up in the middle of a George Floyd protest and rally the crowd with the raw emotion of what it means to be Black and unsafe in the world. From that moment on, Boyega became a force, not only for himself but for young people and avid Black Star Wars fans to speak truth to power, no matter the franchise.
In the cover story, he speaks candidly about his treatment as the only Black lead (stormtrooper-turned-Jedi Finn) in the most recent Star Wars episodes. “What I say to Disney is do not market a Black character as important and then push them aside,” Boyega says. He recounts stylists cringing at the clothes he wanted to wear and that feeling of being misunderstood by a team that should be on your side. Although he acknowledges his role as a “stepping stone,” he says that his character wasn’t given the same depth as Daisy Ridley’s and Adam Driver’s, and that’s no secret to the cast.
Boyega’s Disney stepping stone — and his undeniable onscreen talent—has already paid off in endless opportunity. He’ll appear in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe, due on Amazon Prime this month. But when it comes to his personal evolution, Boyega has decided to grow out his hair.
“When Black men grow their hair out it’s a powerful thing,” he shares. “It stands for something.”
Boyega stands for something and gives millions of Black kids the courage to stand up with him.
