While some would argue that Star Wars movies are coming to our screens these days with too great a frequency, the idea of getting a brand new addition to this space saga felt like a pretty huge deal just a few years ago, so you can only imagine how overwhelming it must’ve felt to actually be cast in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In a new video from the BBC as part of their Black Hollywood series, John Boyega recalls the crazy day he first learned that he’d be playing Finn in the hugely successful 2015 film. The story begins with the star hanging around at home when he gets an email from director J.J. Abrams asking where he is. Since Boyega wanted to seem busy, he said that he was currently in Greenwich for an art exhibition. When the filmmaker asked if they could meet, the actor agreed, and impulsively took a long and expensive cab ride from Catford to Mayfair. When a commenter asked why he didn’t take the cheaper option of a train, Boyega tweeted in response, “Lol rational thinking when your life is about to change I don’t know.”
https://twitter.com/JohnBoyega/status/1056236199122268160
Anyway, the video goes on to cover how the actor sat down with Abrams, before the helmsman asked his future Finn, “Are you ready to be a leader?” to which Boyega replied that he was “good for this process.” After a moment of silence, Boyega took the opportunity to plead his case for the part one last time, before Abrams stopped him to say, “No, no, John, you’re the new star of Star Wars.” Boyega then recalls how time seemed to freeze, and how the next day, even when he got a call from producers, he still couldn’t believe the news.
Fast-forward to the present day and the trilogy started by Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be coming to a close with Episode IX, with recent photos showing Boyega reuniting with his co-stars and traveling the world, all while rocking a brand new hairdo. We’ll see how Abrams and his actors finish what they started when the film hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.