John Boyega

Birth Name: John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega 

Nickname/Stage Name: John Boyega

Birth Date: March 17, 1992

Genres: Action, Drama, Thriller

Occupation(s): Actor, Producer

Years Active: 2011 till Present

Net Worth: $6 million

 

Personal Life

John Boyega was born in Peckham, London, the son of Nigerian parents. He has two sisters and his father is a Pentecostal minister.

Education

He had his secondary school education at Westminster City School and attended South Thames College from 2008 to 2010, earning a National Diploma in Performing Arts.

Boyega enrolled at the University of Greenwich to obtain a degree in Film Studies and Media Writing but dropped out to focus on his acting career.

The actor was trained at the Identity School of Acting, London.

Career

Boyega was cast in the boxing drama Da Brick, loosely based on Mike Tyson's life, and was subsequently given the lead role in the low-budget science-fiction movie Attack the Block (2011).

He was cast in the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's book Half of a Yellow Sun in March 2012. Two years later, he got a role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where he played the role of Finn. He reprised the part in the film's two sequels.

In January 2016, Boyega started his own production company, Upperroom Entertainment Limited. He portrayed the character of Jake Pentecost in Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018);

Boyega's other movie roles include The Circle, Detroit, and Naked Singularity.

Awards

Black Reel Award (2011)

British Academy Film Award (2015)

Empire Award (2015)

Critics' Choice Television Award (2020)

Golden Globe Award (2020)

Quotes

"I remember my manager telling me, 'Be myself, be humble, keep rooted, keep God first'. Those words were very helpful.

"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."

"Acting careers don't come out fully formed - not unless your name is Jaden Smith and your dad has done it all."

Trivia

His father is a Pentecostal preacher and his mother works with the disabled.

He has a pet cat named Oluwalogan, often referred to as just Logan.

He can impersonate facial mannerisms and the voice of his Star Wars co-star Daisy Ridley.

Movies

Attack the Block (2011)

Junkhearts (2011)

Half of a Yellow Sun (2013)

Imperial Dreams (2014)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Detroit (2017)

Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Naked Singularity (2021)