John Boyega Biography
John Boyega is a Nigerian-born British Actor and Producer. His international breakthrough came with his role as Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy films: The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
During a speech at a Black Lives Matter rally in Hyde Park, London, Boyega expressed his displeasure with the deaths of George Floyd, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, and Stephen Lawrence. A number of celebrities backed his gesture, and Lucasfilm reaffirmed their support for Boyega and the Black Lives Matter movement.
In 2016, he received the BAFTA Rising Star Award and the Trophée Chopard at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2020, New African magazine named him one of the Top 100 Most Influential Africans.
In the third episode of Steve McQueen’s anthology series Small Axe, Boyega played Leroy Logan (2020). He received the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film for his performance, as well as the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries.
Wiki Profile
| Real Name: | John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega |
| Date of Birth | March 17, 1992 |
| Place of Birth: | Camberwell district, Peckham |
| Nationality: | Nigerian – British |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Net Worth | $9 million |
Early Life, Childhood and Education
John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega (born 17 March 1992) best known as Boyega was born in London’s Camberwell district and grew up in Peckham. His parents are of Nigerian descent: Abigail (a caregiver) and Samson Adegboyega (a Pentecostal minister).
His first acting role was as a leopard in an Oliver Goldsmith Primary School play. Teresa Early, the artistic director of Theatre Peckham, a learning theatre for young people in south London, noticed him while he was in another play there at the age of nine.
From the age of nine to fourteen, he spent his time there after school. Boyega and Grace were among the last people to see Damilola Taylor alive: they were friends, and the Boyegas assisted in his surveillance.
Boyega began his secondary education at Westminster City School in 2003, where he participated in several school productions. He studied for a National Diploma in Performing Arts at South Thames College’s Wandsworth campus from 2008 to 2010.
He participated in the college’s production of Othello, in which he played the title role. He enrolled at the University of Greenwich to pursue a BA in film studies and media writing, but left to pursue his acting career.
He then studied acting at the Identity School of Acting in London and became a supporter of its Los Angeles branch when it opened in 2018.
Career
Boyega attended the Identity School of Acting in Hackney and appeared in Six Parties at the National Theatre and Category B at the Tricycle Theatre before landing a role in Attack the Block in 2011.
Boyega was cast in HBO’s boxing drama pilot Da Brick, which is loosely based on Mike Tyson‘s life, in September 2011.
Boyega was set to play Donnie, a young man who is released from a juvenile detention center on his 18th birthday and begins to question what it means to be a man. HBO did not pick up the pilot, which was written by John Ridley.
In 2011, Boyega appeared in the film Junkhearts as Jamal, a drug dealer who discovers and tries to sell guns.
Boyega was named one of the “UK Stars of Tomorrow 2011” by Fionnuala Halligan of Screen International, and he appeared on the cover of the magazine’s July 2011 issue alongside two other actors.
He was cast in the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book Half of a Yellow Sun in March 2012.
Boyega’s casting as a major character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens was confirmed on April 29, 2014. Later, it was revealed that he would play Finn, a First Order stormtrooper who, after witnessing their cruelty, deserts the military power and joins the fight against them.
On December 18, 2015, the film was released. Both critics and audiences praised the film and Boyega’s performance.
Boyega appeared in Kathryn Bigelow’s film Detroit, about the 1967 Detroit riots, in 2017, and reprised his role as Finn in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
In January 2016, UpperRoom Entertainment Limited was established by Boyega . His company co-produced (along with Legendary Entertainment) the 2018 film Pacific Rim: Uprising, a sequel to the 2013 film Pacific Rim, in which he starred as Jake Pentecost.
Boyega was named to the Powerlist’s Top 100 list of the “Most influential people of African/African-Caribbean descent” in the UK in 2020 and 2021. His production company UpperRoom recently signed a first-look deal with VIS Kids. He unexpectedly walked out mid-production on the Netflix film Rebel Ridge due to family issues.
Awards
- 2011: Black Reel Award for Best Actor
- 2015: British Academy Film Award for Rising Star Award
- 2015: Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer
- 2020: Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
- 2020: Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor – Television
Personal Life
As of 2022, John Boyega is not dating anyone but has expressed that he wants to have a special relationship with someone he could spend his whole life with. The actor seems to be hopelessly romantic and wishes his relationship to be like his parents.
Also, he wants children of his own in the future.
Social Media
Instagram: @johnboyega
Twitter: @JohnBoyega
