The Star Wars actor strikes back: Diverse characters pushed aside, he claims
star Wars actor John Boyega has accused Disney of sidelining his character in favour of his white co-stars.
In a stinging attack, he claimed his part in the films was marketed as being ‘much more important’ than it was.
the star, 28, who grew up on a council estate in Peckham, south London, to parents originally from Nigeria, first appeared in the sci-fi franchise as stormtrooper Finn in 2015’s the Force awakens.
But he saw his screen time slashed in sequels the Last Jedi and the rise of skywalker.
Boyega said Disney gave ‘all the nuance’ to his white star
‘It makes you more militant’
Wars co-stars adam Driver and Daisy ridley and claimed the movie giant didn’t know what to do with his character or other non-white actors, including Kelly Marie tran, who played rose tico.
He told GQ magazine: ‘What I would say to Disney is do not bring out a black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side. It’s not good. I’ll say it straight up.
‘You guys knew what to do with Daisy ridley, you knew what to do with adam Driver.
‘You knew what to do with these other people, but when it came to Kelly Marie tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know f*** all. so what do you want me to say? What they want you to say is, “I enjoyed being a part of it. It was a great experience”. Nah... I’ll take that deal when it’s a great experience.
‘they gave all the nuance to adam Driver, all the nuance to Daisy ridley. Let’s be honest. Daisy knows this. adam knows this. Everybody knows. I’m not exposing anything.’
Boyega, who delivered a powerful speech to a crowd at a Black Lives Matter protest in London’s Hyde Park in June, said being black meant he was the only cast member who had to deal with abuse.
His casting in the Force awakens sparked a racist backlash when the trailer was released, with some calling for a boycott of the film. ‘I’m the only cast member who had their own unique experience of that franchise based on their race,’ the Bafta-winning actor said.
‘It makes you angry with a process like that. It makes you much more militant; it changes you. Because you realise, “I got given this opportunity but I’m in an industry that wasn’t even ready for me.”’
after the interview, Boyega said he had spoken out in ‘hopes of better change’.
■ Read the full feature in the October issue of British GQ available via digital download and on newsstands tomorrow.