John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega (born March 17, 1992) is a British-Nigerian Actor and producer recognized professionally as John Boyega. He is best known for his portrayal of Finn in the Star Wars prequel trilogy films and as Moses in Attack the Block. He has also appeared in films like Imperial Dreams, Detroit, Pacific Rim: Uprising, 24: Live Another Day, and The Woman King. In 2016, he received the BAFTA Rising Star Award.
Early Life & Education
John Boyega was born to Nigerian parents on March 17, 1992, in Peckham, London. He was the second of four children and grew up in a council estate in Southeast London. Boyega’s parents worked multiple jobs to provide for their family, and he often helped his father with his work as a preacher.
His father, Samson Adegboyega, was a pentecostal minister, while his mother, Abigail Adegboyega, was disabled.
Boyega attended Oliver Goldsmith Primary School and Westminster City School before enrolling in South Thames College to study performing arts. At Westminster City School, where he participated in several school musicals, Boyega started his primary education in 2003. To prepare for a National Diploma in a humanistic subject, he studied at South Thames College’s Wandsworth campus between 2008 and 2010.
He first developed an interest in acting there and decided to pursue it as a career.
In 2011, Boyega landed his first major role in the sci-fi comedy film “Attack the Block,” playing the lead role of Moses. The film was a critical and commercial success, and Boyega’s performance received widespread praise.
Career
John Boyega’s career flourished after his breakout role in “Attack the Block.” In 2014, he appeared at the Sundance Film Festival alongside Josh Wiggins, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Sharon Swart. Boyega received his acting instruction at the Identity School of Acting in Hackney. He also participated in Six Parties at the National Theatre and Category B at the Tricycle Theatre before being offered a part in “Attack the Block.”
In 2011, HBO announced that Boyega had been chosen to play Mike Tyson in the boxing drama pilot “Da Brick.” He was also anticipated to portray Donnie, a young man who, upon turning 18, is let out of a juvenile detention facility and starts to consider what it means to be a human being.
Boyega was chosen as one of Screen International’s “UK Stars of Future 2011” and appeared on the magazine’s front cover with two other actors in its July 2011 issue. He was hired for the “Half of a Yellow Sun” movie in March 2012.
In 2014, Boyega was cast as the lead character in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” playing Finn, a stormtrooper for the First Order who leaves the military power after witnessing their brutality in his first mission before joining the fight against them. The film was released on December 18, 2015, and both viewers and critics praised Boyega’s performance.
In 2017, Boyega had a prominent role in Kathryn Bigelow‘s film “Detroit,” which focused on the 1967 Detroit riots. He also returned to the role of Finn in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” the same year.
In 2016, Boyega established his own production company, Upperroom Entertainment Ltd, and co-produced the 2018 sequel to the 2013 film “Pacific Rim,” “Pacific Rim: Uprising,” in which he also starred as Jake Pentecost.
Boyega and Letitia Wright were set to co-star in the novel adaptation of “Twiddling My Thumbs, the Celebs” when it was first revealed in November 2018 that they would do so. He also appeared in the “Small Axe” miniseries directed by Steve McQueen.
He reprised his role as Finn in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” released in 2019. During a formal “Good Morning America interview,” Boyega confessed to accidentally leaving his script in a hotel room, which later turned up for sale on eBay.
In 2020, He was included in the Top 100 of the most powerful celebrities of African and African-Caribbean origin in the UK in the Power List, ranking among the top 100 most influential African and African-American descent celebrities in the UK.
In 2022, He was featured as King Ghezo in the Netflix original movie, The Woman King, starring alongside Davis Viola, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Thuso Nokwanda Mbedu, Adrienne Warren, and many others.
Personal Life
John Boyega has achieved significant success in his career, but he also desires to have a meaningful and committed relationship with someone special. He hopes to start a family and has stated that he would like to date a Christian girl.
Despite having many female friends, Boyega is currently not in a relationship.
In terms of his physical appearance, he has an athletic build with measurements of 43 inches for his chest, 34 inches for his waist, and 15 inches for his biceps. He stands at 5 feet 9 inches tall and has a body mass of 87 kg.
Filmography
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).
- The woman king (2023).
- The Circle (2017).
- Attack the Block (2011).
- Imperial Dreams (2014).
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017).
- Breaking (2022).
- They Cloned Tyrone (2023).
- Half of a Yellow Sun (2013).
Social Media
- Instagram @Johnboyega
- Twitter @JohnBoyega
- Facebook @John Boyega
Net Worth
John Boyega has an estimated net worth of US$40 million.