John Boyega: ‘Star Wars’ Role Is ‘Dope’ — New Cast Member Talks About Landing Epic Part
One of the exciting new characters in The Force Awakens is the Stormtrooper Finn, played by John Boyega. Star Wars is serving as the launching pad for his career, and he called his role “dope” in a recent interview.
Following in George Lucas’ footsteps, director J.J. Abrams cast relative unknowns for his new main characters, and as it happened with the original trilogy and prequels, those actors are already experiencing a surge in their popularity. Such is the case for John Boyega and his co-stars Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), who even before Star Wars hits theaters have turned into superstars overnight.
Unlike with earlier Star Wars movies, John Boyega and company have the benefits (or curse, depending on how one looks at it) of the internet and social media. The 23-year-old Brit is fast becoming one of the most popular Star Wars newcomers.
In a recent interview with GQ — which came out September 24 — John Boyega talked about being cast as Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The new superstar said he “was unleashed into seven months of auditioning” that were “intense.”
Boyega also revealed his thoughts when he first read the Star Wars: The Force Awakens script and his character without really revealing any plot details.
“When I read the script I cried, and I’m not really a big crier… I’m more like a frog-in-the- throat kind of guy, who’ll try to hold it in and make sure I don’t let it all out.
“Finn is dope. His story is so epic. It’s a story that’s never been seen before, but it also mirrors the stories of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. And he’s quirky and charismatic and funny. For me, he was the best character in the script.”
This is great to know, because other than being a renegade Stormtrooper, we really don’t know much about Finn. Abrams said he has purposely left out the last name of John Boyega’s Star Wars character, so as to not give away who his parents are. Many believe he is the son of Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), for obvious reasons, but at this point that’s just speculation.
In The Force Awakens trailer we saw that Finn meets up with Rey in the planet Jakku, where she is a scavenger, as they escape Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) and The First Order — the new villains — who wants her man back. Without knowing any more details and only from what we have seen in posters, Finn and Rey join original character Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his loyal friend, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and find the Millennium Falcon.
John Boyega also talked about using a lightsaber on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, saying the weapon is heavy to use and he had to do a lot of running around, which is clear from the trailer.
“I was trained on a high incline treadmill so when it came to it I could sprint around the desert in a leather jacket. They should do a Star Wars weight loss program.”
Before being cast in Star Wars, John Boyega was praised for his role in the 2011 sci-fi comedy Attack the Block, which was nominated for a BAFTA. We will see the outgoing actor star in Imperial Dreams, where he plays a reformed gangster who is released from prison and returns to the place where it all started in L.A.
Before he stars in STAR WARS, @johnboyega stars in #MFF2015 film IMPERIAL DREAMS. Get tix now: http://t.co/mR2FuWP8J8 pic.twitter.com/EZd7ZCymUF
— Milwaukee Film (@mkefilm) September 16, 2015
Watch John Boyega in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer.
[Image via Lucasfilm]
