Financial turning points often mark the most pivotal moments in successful careers. For British actor John Boyega, that turning point came when he was down to his last few dollars before landing a role that would catapult him into global stardom. Speaking at the recent Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, the 33-year-old actor revealed the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his casting in the “Star Wars” franchise, demonstrating how quickly life can change in Hollywood.
After nearly a decade of professional acting experience and only three feature films on his resume, Boyega found himself struggling financially when director J.J. Abrams contacted him about a potential role.
Star Wars
The actor had been through numerous auditions for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and was reaching the end of both his patience and his bank account. With approximately £45 (about $60) to his name, Boyega received the call that would change everything.
“I had been auditioning for so long, so I felt like he kind of took away my dignity a little bit,” Boyega explained during his panel with podcast host Josh Horowitz, People reported.
Trying to maintain some professional composure despite his financial situation, Boyega pretended to be busy at “an art show in Greenwich” when Abrams called. The director insisted they meet immediately at a restaurant in Mayfair to discuss “something important.”
The financial reality of this pivotal moment was stark.
“At the time I had £45 in my account. It took £33 and 83p to get to J.J. Do the math,” Boyega told the audience.
This left him with roughly £11 (about $17) remaining as he walked into what would become a life-changing meeting.
Nervously approaching the table where Abrams sat in a closed-off section of the restaurant, Boyega said his mind raced with possibilities. He recalled thinking that even if he didn’t get the part, at least the kind-hearted director “would still feed me.”
“J.J., please. Look, I can audition again,” he remembered saying. “I can do British, Scottish, Nigerian, whatever. And he goes, ‘You’re [in “Star Wars”].’”
The news would transform Boyega’s life.
The actor described the surreal nature of that moment, saying that “the moment froze” and he became hyper-aware of every detail around him, even counting “how many sugar cubes were in this very crush little cup that was on the table.”
The Hollywood moment was cemented when the film’s co-writer Lawrence Kasdan walked out and told him, “Kid, this movie’s gonna change your life.”
Indeed, Kasdan’s prediction proved accurate.
Boyega’s role as Finn, a stormtrooper who rebels against the First Order, launched him to global fame when “The Force Awakens” hit theaters in 2015. The film grossed over $2 billion worldwide, with its sequels “The Last Jedi” and “The Rise of Skywalker” each earning more than $1 billion.
Boyega’s journey with the franchise hasn’t been without challenges, however.
In a 2020 interview with GQ magazine, he voiced frustration about how Disney handled diversity in the sequel trilogy, stating they knew “what to do with Daisy Ridley” and “what to do with Adam Driver,” but when it came to his character and Kelly Marie Tran’s, they knew “f-ck all.”
More recently, according to People, in Apple TV+’s documentary “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood,” he observed that “Star Wars” has “always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space.”
He has previously had these conversations about being Black in this white space.
Despite these criticisms, Boyega has acknowledged that joining the franchise represented a “fundamental moment” in his career.
From having less than $20 in his bank account to becoming a globally recognized actor, his story represents the dramatic financial and professional transformations that can occur in the entertainment industry when talent meets opportunity.
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