The cast of the latest installment of the Star Wars franchise includes Hollywood big shots such as Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, among other notable actors such as Academy Award-winning Lupita Nyong’o, but the name on everyone’s lips is rising star, John Boyega, who plays AWOL First Order Stormtrooper, Finn.

Initially, John Boyega’s role in the movie came under social media fire before its release. Tweeters vowed to boycott the movie because the makers of Star Wars chose a black person to play Finn. Boyega responded to the issue by asking those ‘concerned’ to “get used to it” on his Instagram page. He further added in a New York Times interview that he was a “confident, Nigerian, black, chocolate, man.”

Boyega is proud of his heritage and upbringing, and isn’t losing any sleep because of people’s racism.

The actor was born to Nigerian parents, Samson and Abigail, in Peckham, London, in a  neighbourhood notorious for being rough. Samson originally planned for his son to follow in his footsteps as a preacher in a Pentecostal church. According to the 23-year-old, his parents’ Nigerian culture naturally makes them uninterested in science fiction and things that aren’t ‘real’.

That notwithstanding, Boyega’s talent and success as an actor have earned him immense support from his family, as well as friends. His impression of his father’s reaction and Nigerian accent when he found out he landed a part in the blockbuster is still making the rounds on social media.

 

Star Wars opens today, and star Nigerian John Boyega is stealing the spotlight