To say that John Boyega, known for his role in the Star Wars franchise, rolled the dice would be an understatement. It was a brave step and one that would eventually define his career. He has spent much of his remaining savings to fly to L.A. to meet director J.J. Abrams. That initial meeting led to one of the largest and most acclaimed series of documentary films in the world. Before landing his role in the Star Wars franchise, Boyega had only starred in three feature-length films. He recalled the whole process as being “extremely surreal.”
By the time of this pivotal meeting, Boyega was left with only £45 to his name. He figured it would be £33.83 for him to get to Abrams’ place in Mayfair. Just trust the math,” he remembered, which shows the gamble he had to take in spending nearly all of his last dollars on what might be a transformative opportunity.
Even when he was the most anxious at every new chapter of his burgeoning career, Boyega’s fire in his belly forced him to keep going. Prior to that meeting with Abrams, he’d been auditioning for years. Initially, when Abrams called him for a meeting, Boyega pretended to be busy, saying, “I’m at this art show in Greenwich, mate. I’m very, very busy. Where are you?” Abrams insisted on meeting immediately, stating, “Well, I’m in Mayfair and [at a] restaurant. Need to talk to you now. We’ll talk about something important.” As soon as I saw that prompt I just had to give in and come back with, ‘Alright, alright, I’m coming right over there.’”
Even the auditioning process proved to be a gauntlet for Boyega. He said that Abrams “robbed [him] of [his] dignity a little bit” in their first encounters. He made it his mission to appeal for a second opportunity to audition. It was those actions that spoke volumes about his unyielding drive and fervor for the position.
Yet, as exciting as Boyega’s ascendance in Hollywood might seem, it has been accompanied by plenty of ups and downs. He has voiced frustration over his experiences within the Star Wars franchise and has spoken out against the toxic fanbase that has targeted actors of color. In the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, he referenced the negative reactions to his character and highlighted similar experiences faced by fellow Star Wars actors like Amandla Stenberg and Kelly Marie Tran, who have endured racist attacks.
In the documentary, Boyega looks back on how far he’s come. He recounts, “So I walk in…Every foot step I made, I was scared.” He admitted that with every milestone came anxiety and uncertainty, but was thankful for the years he’d spent collaborating with Abrams. “J.J. is a phenomenal, nice guy, and if he was to tell me I didn’t get the part, he would still feed me,” he said.
