On 3 June 2020, John Boyega stood in London’s Hyde Park with a megaphone and told a crowd of protesters that he did not know if he would still have a career after what he was about to say. He said it anyway.
The Star Wars actor spoke at a Black Lives Matter demonstration after the killing of George Floyd in the United States. In an emotional speech, he talked about racism, his own experiences and the importance of Black lives. The video spread around the world within hours.
From Peckham to a galaxy far away
Boyega was born in 1992 in Camberwell, south London, to Nigerian parents; his father is a Pentecostal minister. He grew up in Peckham and began acting in school and youth theatre, later attending drama courses in London.
His breakthrough came in Attack the Block (2011), a science-fiction comedy about a gang of south London teenagers defending their estate from alien invaders. His performance as Moses, the gang’s leader, caught the attention of filmmakers.
Finn
In 2014 he was cast as Finn, a stormtrooper who deserts the First Order, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). It was one of the biggest films in history, and Boyega became a global star. He appeared in the two sequels, The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
His casting drew racist abuse from some online, which Boyega answered with humour and defiance. After the trilogy ended, he spoke publicly about his disappointment that Finn’s story, and that of other characters of colour, had been sidelined.
The speech
At Hyde Park, Boyega spoke about Black people’s pain being dismissed and asked the crowd to keep the protests peaceful. His willingness to risk his career was widely praised. Directors and studios posted messages of support, and several said they would work with him.
After Hyde Park
His career continued strongly. He starred in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology (2020), in the episode “Red, White and Blue”, about a Black police officer, and won a Golden Globe for it. He also starred in Breaking (2022) and The Woman King (2022) as King Ghezo.
Nigerian roots
Boyega has spoken about his Yoruba heritage and his family, and in 2020 he spoke in support of the #EndSARS protests against police brutality in Nigeria. He also co-founded a production company, UpperRoom Productions, to develop stories with diverse casts.
New roles
In 2023 he starred with Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris in the Netflix comedy thriller They Cloned Tyrone, which he also produced. The film, about residents of a neighbourhood who uncover a government conspiracy, drew on the same themes of race and power he had spoken about in Hyde Park, delivered this time as genre entertainment.
He said he might not have a career after that day. In the years that followed, he won a Golden Globe and kept working.
