Boyega shocked by popularity

John Boyega may have a lot in common with Finn, the character he plays in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” but a trip to a London toy store left the actor floored.

Boyega said one of the most surprising experiences he had while making the film was seeing his own larger-than-life likeness at the Toys “R″ Us store he frequented as a kid. The actor had gone to find a gift for his newborn nephew when he came face to face with a giant cardboard cutout of himself as Finn.

“There were toys everywhere, and I was just like, ‘Wow,’” Boyega said in a recent interview. “I’m on the shelf. It’s strange.” While he has gotten more accustomed to his place in the Star Wars universe after making his debut as Finn in “The Force Awakens,” both he and his character remain awed by the scope of that world.

One may meet the characters of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” today at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. of SM City Cebu. One may snap photos of the “Star Wars” setting and some of the characters from the franchise at the Canopy 1 across Entrance 1 of the mall.

A former Stormtrooper who escapes the First Order to join the Resistance, Finn is now emboldened to discover where he fits into the fight, Boyega said.

The 25-year-old actor is poised to do the same in Hollywood: His work in “Star Wars” has led to other high-profile roles, including a part in Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit” and in next year’s “Pacific Rim Uprising.”

“I feel like during the filming of ‘ The Last Jedi,’ we were kind of living parallels to our characters in a sense,” Boyega said. “Because Finn is now well known in the Star Wars universe, and for me, I’m known within the industry and our planet and whatever. Now he has this reputation and it’s hard for him to keep that up while still figuring himself out because he’s been labeled as a hero.”