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'{{EngvarB|date=December 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}} {{Infobox person |name = John Boyega |image = John Boyega by Gage Skidmore.jpg |caption = John Boyega at the 2015 [[San Diego Comic-Con International]] |birth_name = |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1992|3|17}} |birth_place = [[Peckham]], London, England, United&nbsp;Kingdom |occupation = Actor |years_active = 2011–present |alma_mater = [[University of Greenwich]] }} '''John Boyega''' (born 17 March 1992) is an English actor, best known for playing the lead role of Moses in the 2011 sci-fi comedy film ''[[Attack the Block]]'' and for playing [[Finn (Star Wars)|Finn]] in the 2015 epic space opera film ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]'', with the latter bringing him international recognition. Some other credits include historical fiction drama film ''[[Half of a Yellow Sun (film)|Half of a Yellow Sun]]'' (2013), four episodes of the television series ''[[24: Live Another Day]]'' and the drama ''[[Imperial Dreams]]'' (both 2014). ==Early life== Boyega was born in [[Peckham]], South London,<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/war-of-the-worlds-meets-skins-on-london-movie-set-2277355.html |title='War of the Worlds' meets 'Skins' on London movie set |first=Andrew |last=McCorkell |work=[[The Independent]] |date=1 May 2011 |publisher=[[Independent News & Media|INM]] |location=London |issn=0951-9467 |oclc=185201487 |accessdate=25 June 2012}}</ref> to [[British Nigerian|Nigerian parents]], Abigail and Samson.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/movies/john-boyega-in-joe-cornishs-attack-the-block.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1& |title=John Boyega in Joe Cornish's 'Attack the Block' |first=Dave |last=Itzkoff |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=22 July 2011 |publisher=[[New York Times Company|NYTC]] |location=New York City |issn=0362-4331 |accessdate=8 December 2014}}</ref><ref>http://venturesafrica.com/john-boyegas-adorable-nigerianess-is-half-the-rave-as-star-wars-premieres-worldwide/</ref> His first role was a leopard in a play at his primary school at the age of 5.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/john-boyega-attack-the-block#page2 |title=The Attack of John Boyega |work=[[Interview (magazine)|Interview]] |year=2011 |accessdate=24 June 2012}}</ref> Boyega went to church with his family every day. His father, who is a preacher, wanted Boyega to follow in his footsteps and join the ministry. He was noticed by the Artistic Director of Theatre Peckham, Teresa Early, who saw him act in a primary school play and invited him to join the theatre school for talented children between the ages of 9 and 14, after obtaining financial assistance from a hardship fund.<ref>{{cite web|first= |last= |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11562734/Star-Wars-Five-things-you-didnt-know-about-John-Boyega.html |title=Star Wars: Five things you didn't know about John Boyega |publisher= [[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=25 April 2015 |accessdate=22 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first= Camilla|last= Turner |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11561512/Star-Wars-The-boy-from-Peckham-who-stormed-Hollywood.html |title=Star Wars: John Boyega, the boy from Peckham who stormed Hollywood |publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date= 24 April 2015|accessdate=22 October 2015}}</ref> He attended [[Westminster City School]] as a teenager. He later took part in various school productions and attended classes at Theatre Peckham. He was a performing arts student at [[South Thames College]] in [[Wandsworth]] and was active in theatre productions there, including the lead in ''[[Othello]]'' in 2010. Boyega also studied Film and TV at [[University of Greenwich]]. ==Career== [[File:Josh Wiggins (Hellion), John Boyega (Imperial Dreams), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Young Ones) and Sharon Swart (12026188424).jpg|thumb|right|[[Sundance Film Festival]], 2014: John Boyega (2nd from the left), together with [[Josh Wiggins]], [[Kodi Smit-McPhee]] and Sharon Swart (from the left to the right)]] Boyega trained at the Identity School of Acting in [[Metropolitan Borough of Hackney|Hackney]],<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.identitydramaschool.com/_halloffame.htm |title=Hall of Fame |work=identitydramaschool.com |year=2012 |accessdate=25 June 2012}}</ref> and appeared in ''Six Parties'' at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] and ''Category B'' at the [[Tricycle Theatre]] prior to being offered a role in the 2011 film ''[[Attack the Block]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.dvd365.net/featureitem.php?input=attacktheblock |title=Attack the Block feature item |work=dvd365.net |year=2012 |accessdate=25 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Jen |last=Yamato |url= http://movieline.com/2011/08/01/attack-the-blocks-john-boyega-on-going-from-hoodie-to-hero-and-taking-hollywood-by-storm/ |title=Attack the Block's John Boyega on Going 'From Hoodie to Hero,' and Taking Hollywood by Storm |work=[[Movieline]] |date=1 August 2011 |accessdate=24 June 2012}}</ref> In September 2011, [[HBO]] announced that Boyega had been cast in the [[boxing]] drama pilot ''Da Brick'', loosely based on [[Mike Tyson]]'s life. Boyega was expected to play Donnie, who is released from a [[Youth detention center|juvenile detention centre]] on his 18th birthday and begins to examine what it means to be a man. The pilot was written by [[John Ridley]],<ref>{{cite web|first=Catriona |last=Wightman |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a338187/john-boyega-to-star-in-mike-tyson-spike-lee-hbo-pilot-da-brick.html |title=John Boyega to star in Mike Tyson, Spike Lee HBO pilot 'Da Brick' – US TV News |publisher=[[Digital Spy]] |date=1 September 2011 |accessdate=24 June 2012 }}</ref> but was not picked up by HBO.<ref>{{cite web|first=Morgan |last=Jeffery |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a371123/da-brick-hbo-passes-on-mike-tyson-boxing-drama.html |title='Da Brick': HBO passes on Mike Tyson boxing drama – US TV News |publisher=Digital Spy |date=14 March 2012|accessdate=24 June 2012 }}</ref> Also in 2011, he acted in the film ''[[Junkhearts]]'' in which he portrayed a drug dealer who found some guns and tried to sell them. Boyega was chosen by Fionnuala Halligan of Screen International as one of the "UK Stars of Tomorrow 2011" and appeared alongside two other actors on the front cover of that magazine in its July 2011 edition.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.screendaily.com/festival-calendar/stars-of-tomorrow-2011/5029340.article |title=Stars of Tomorrow 2011 |work=[[Screen Daily]] |date=30 June 2011 |accessdate=8 December 2014}}</ref> In March 2012, Boyega was cast in the [[Half of a Yellow Sun (film)|film adaptation]] of [[Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie]]'s book ''[[Half of a Yellow Sun]]''.<ref>{{cite web |first=Ben |last=Pearson |url=http://filmonic.com/attack-the-block-star-john-boyega-joins-half-of-a-yellow-sun/ |title=Attack the Block star John Boyega joins Half of a Yellow Sun |publisher=Filmonic |date=29 March 2012|accessdate=24 June 2012 }}</ref> On 29 April 2014, it was confirmed that Boyega had been cast as a lead character in ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-7-cast-announced.html |title=Star Wars: Episode VII Cast Announced |publisher=StarWars.com |date=29 April 2014 |accessdate=29 April 2014}}</ref> It was later revealed Boyega would play [[Finn (Star Wars)|Finn]], a [[stormtrooper (Star Wars)|stormtrooper]] for the [[First Order (Star Wars)|First Order]], who leaves the fascist military power after witnessing their cruelty in his first combat mission before joining the fight against them. The film was released on 18 December 2015. Boyega has stated in an interview that he is a fan of [[Marvel Comics]], and that he had hoped to play the Marvel character [[Black Panther (comics)|Black Panther]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Get to know 'Star Wars' star John Boyega|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/28/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/star-wars-who-is-john-boyega|agency= Breeanna Hare, CNN|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=28 November 2014|accessdate=24 December 2014}}</ref> ==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class = "wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class = "unsortable" | Notes |- | 2011 |''[[Attack the Block]]'' | Moses | [[Black Reel Award for Best Actor]] <br/> Nominated – [[Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance]] <br/> Nominated – [[Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble]] <br/> Nominated – [[British Independent Film Awards|British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer]] <br/> Nominated – [[Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer]] <br/> Nominated – [[Evening Standard British Film Awards|Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer]] <br/> Nominated – [[London Film Critics' Circle|London Film Critics' Circle Award for Young British Performer of the Year]] |- | 2011 | ''[[Junkhearts]]'' | Jamal | |- | 2013 |''[[Half of a Yellow Sun (film)|Half of a Yellow Sun]]'' | Ugwu | |- | 2014 | ''[[Imperial Dreams]]'' | Bambi | |- | 2015 | ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]'' | [[Finn (Star Wars)|FN-2187/Finn]] | Main role |- | 2016 | ''[[The Circle (2016 film)|The Circle]]'' | Ty | Filming |- | 2017 | ''[[Star Wars sequel trilogy#Episode VIII|Star Wars: Episode VIII]]'' | Finn | Main role |} ===Television=== {| class = "wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2011 | ''Da Brick'' | Donnie | Pilot |- | 2011 | ''[[Becoming Human]]'' | Danny Curtis | 4 episodes |- | 2011 | ''[[Law & Order: UK]]'' | Jamal Clarkson | Episode: "Survivor's Guilt" |- | 2012 | ''My Murder'' | Shakilus Townsend | Television film |- | 2013 | ''[[The Whale (2013 film)|The Whale]]'' | William Bond | Television film |- | 2014 | ''[[24: Live Another Day]]'' | Chris Tanner | 4 episodes |- | 2015 | ''[[Major Lazer (TV series)|Major Lazer]]'' | Blkmrkt (voice) | Supporting role |- | 2015 | ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' | Himself | Segment: "''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' Screen Tests" |} ===Stage=== {| class = "wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2010 | ''[[Othello]]'' | Othello | South Thames College |} ===Video games=== {| class = "wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2015 | ''[[Disney Infinity 3.0]]'' | Finn | Voice |} ===Theme park attractions=== {| class = "wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2015 | ''[[Star Tours–The Adventures Continue]]'' | Finn | Scene added for seasonal ''Season of the Force'' promotion |} ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== {{commons category}} *{{IMDb name|3915784}} {{Authority control}} {{Persondata | NAME = Boyega, John | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = British-Nigerian actor | DATE OF BIRTH = 17 March 1992 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Peckham, London, England | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Boyega, John}} [[Category:1992 births]] [[Category:21st-century English male actors]] [[Category:21st-century Nigerian male actors]] [[Category:Black English male actors]] [[Category:English male film actors]] [[Category:English male television actors]] [[Category:English people of Nigerian descent]] [[Category:English people of Yoruba descent]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Male actors from London]] [[Category:People from Peckham]] [[Category:Yoruba male actors]]'