I think for me, wearing the helmet and being part of the Stormtroopers felt so strange. Like, so this is what it feels like to just be one of the many. And to look the same, and to have to do the same thing. To be under the same orders. This is what it feels like.
— John Boyega
My stormtrooper suit would chip underneath the armpits and in between the thighs. So they had to do a lot of editing for my costume and shave some areas down.
My friends and family are not really fixated on the specifics of 'Star Wars.' My parents don't know anything about 'Star Wars.' They've never watched a 'Star Wars' film.
My earliest vivid memory would be my Nigerian mother. She would wrap me on her back. I remember being on her back a lot. It felt like a ride, like I was riding a dinosaur; going everywhere and seeing everything.
All the films I've done have had a secret commentary on stereotypical mentalities.
I'm grounded in who I am, and I am a confident black man. A confident, Nigerian, black, chocolate man. I'm proud of my heritage, and no man can take that away from me.
I watched season four of 'The Wire.' They have subtle performances that they do through their eyes. You could watch season four with the audio off and still understand what's happening through their eyes.
I know my movies. I love my movies.
'Junkhearts' is a great story.
There's a difference between living somewhere and being part of somewhere.
I love London. I'm a London fanatic. That's my city.
I'd like to be in anything that tells a good story and has an interesting character.
Acting careers don't come out fully formed - not unless your name is Jaden Smith and your dad has done it all.
In the States, you have a little bit of freedom to audition for different kinds of roles.
Normally you hear about Southeast London, and you hear about all the stuff that goes on down there, all the negative things, and the tabloids kind of stay away from all the positive things that happen that I see every day, which kind of outshines the negative.
Some people feel fulfillment from a bitter end - it gives them some sort of sense of reality. But, when you're dealing with reality, I feel like films should discover the part that is happy.
Portray the world for what it is, and you will find truth.
Despite that it's 'Star Wars' and how huge it is, it's still work to me, and that element of things grounds you, especially from nerding out a few times. Although, some days I can't control myself.
We see through the eyes of children that they're not talking about race the way we grown folks are. They're not talking about color or how much melanin is in someone's skin.
When I was in primary school, I was given a five-line script in 'Anansi the Spider Man,' and I decided to just improv and make it my own. For a second, I felt like Kevin Hart because everyone was laughing. I just continued to do it. Why not?
I think 'Star Wars' always has to be bigger and bigger and better every time, and there's a great cast on 'The Force Awakens.' It's ground-breaking.
Finn doesn't have as much respect for Han's legacy as everybody else does, and Han finds that a bit charming. They team up and go on a mission together. The banter is very choppy, and the dialogue is pretty funny. Chewie enjoys the banter and the friction between the two, but they definitely have each other's backs.
Like any other actor, my agent called me with an opportunity. It just so happens that the opportunity was the lead in 'Star Wars.'
You know, urban culture is fun; it's lovely.
I've been acting since I was 5 years old, from primary school to secondary school, did training at drama school, which was the big thing for me because they trained me, put me out into the industry.
Being robbed hurts - not physically, but from what it does to your pride.
You know, we all can do bad, and we all can do good.
It's amazing that people still feel, 'Oh my gosh, it's a black guy.' We've been here for a long time; let's get used to it. Let's get used to other cultures.
I've had plenty of lessons about film acting and theatre acting.
Who wouldn't want to be in 'Star Wars?' It'd be great.
I've been getting diverse roles.
My dad's a Pentecostal minister, meaning that he's full of charisma. If he's telling a story about Noah's ark, you best know each tiger is going to be having their own little conversation and narrative.
I like my women very green; you know, eco-friendly.
I remember my manager telling me, 'Be myself, be humble, keep rooted, keep God first'. Those words were very helpful.
I'm having so much fun, because you know what? They cast a Star Wars fan in a Star Wars movie. Biiiiiig mistake!
People of color and women are increasingly being shown on-screen. For things to be whitewashed just doesn't make sense.
I love my jackets and good tailoring. I love the designs and the colour.
It's always great to play a character that goes against the grain. Finn defies what people think when they think of stormtroopers.
Finn is just a stormtrooper, and stormtroopers are no longer clones, so they are bred from birth to fight. He's not too sure about it, so he escapes and meets Rey and Poe and BB8, and their stories kind of mesh together, and they go on a major adventure.
I'm a comic reader and a manga fan.
I'm a Michael Bay fanatic.
Hollywood has given me a great, warm hug.
The 'block' in 'Attack the Block' is not just a physical thing. It's people; it's families.
Film is just a great medium to express yourself and a great environment to work around.
There is a level of appreciation for brothers and sisters in the hood.
My biggest challenge is to not do urban movies for the rest of my life, those alpha hoodies.
In this life, it's not hard to do wrong.
The scripts that I've been getting are of epic proportion. People want me to lead the big armies.
My dad is a minister, and my mum is a worker with the less fortunate and the disabled. They're Nigerian natives. Their first language is Yoruba, and their second language is English.
'Attack The Block' is an alien invasion film set in South London. It's about a group of kids who are some petty thugs, who have to find the hero in themselves, when they attack.
