Star Wars‘ star John Boyega may be a leading man today, but things could have been very different for the 26-year-old had he stayed in England.
According to a new interview with Vera Magazine for Virgin Atlantic Airways, the London native revealed that being typecast in various projects across the pond prompted a big move to America.
“I knew I had to go to America to get the kind of roles I wanted,” Boyega, who was often offered roles such as ‘Hoodie Number One,’ revealed. “I’d basically spend all my money from whatever TV show I’d been in, and just stay in Los Angeles for as long as I could afford. It felt like a gamble every time, but there was always a goal in mind.”
His big break, of course, came after being cast in JJ Abrams ‘ Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Initially, Boyega didn’t think too much of the role.
“We had a quick meeting and, at the end of it, [Abrams] just said, ‘I want to put you in something,'” the Detroit star recalled. “I didn’t think much of it at the time. But it was eight, maybe ten auditions, mostly in little rooms in London, over seven months. I went from nervous and excited to, ‘Great, I hope I get this!’ to, ‘They’d better give me this damn role.'”
Despite the film’s success and his meteoric rise to superstardom, Boyega continues to push himself as an actor.
“I knew that it didn’t guarantee I’d suddenly get good roles,” he explained. “So I tried to use it as an opportunity to craft the kind of career I always wanted.”