John Boyega is letting it all out about his Star Wars experience.
In a new interview on Tell Me Everything With John Fugelsang, the 30-year-old British actor opened up about being a Black actor in the Star Wars universe. He talked about the racist backlash he experienced — and whether he wants to reprise his role.
He opened up about social media and fans’ treatment on Black characters in the mega-successful franchise:
“Right now you go on social media, it feels like algebra to me. Two plus two is four. If you do this, that means this. Women think like this, men think like this, and that simplicity with such intricate talking points, it froze me off…It’s a rocky road.”
John Fugelsang then brought up Moses Ingram, who also dealt with racism for her role in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, to which John Boyega responded:
“I saw that.”
John Fugelsang went on to say about Moses’ experience:
“But Disney was there. They had a plan and it seemed like Disney learned along the way to have a plan for these sort of things to happen. When it happened to you, I don’t think there was a game plan. I don’t think they saw it coming.”
To this, John Boyega shared his feelings about the situation, saying:
“That’s how it goes, man. That’s how it goes, but that’s the piece that I felt Moses Ingram being protected makes me feel protected. Do you understand what I’m saying?
It makes me feel like, okay, cool. I am not the elephant in the room because when I started it, wasn’t really a conversation you could bring up. You know how they went through it. It was kind of like, let’s just be silent. It wasn’t a conversation you could bring up.
But now to see how blatant it is, to see Ewan McGregor come and support is… for me, fulfills my time where I didn’t get the support. It doesn’t make me feel bitter at all. It makes me feel like sometimes you are that guy. And my dad taught me that. Sometimes you’re not the guy to get the blessing and sometimes you are Moses, you know, you lead the people to the mountain, but you see the destination. You don’t get to go in, you get others to go in. And that’s where you get your happiness from.
And for me to see other people accepted, and then at the same time to see that the studios now are like, okay, cool. This is not an elephant in the room conversation. We need to support our Black client. It’s fantastic.”
As to whether he would be willing to reprise his role of Finn, he said:
“At this point I’m cool off it. I’m good off it…and I think, I think Finn is at a good confirmation point where you can just enjoy him in other things, the games, the animation. But I feel like, yeah, seven to nine was good for me.”
