John Boyega

John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega, known professionally as John Boyega, is an English actor and producer. He first gained recognition in Britain for his role as a teenage gang leader in the comedy horror film Attack the Block (2011). He achieved international prominence for playing Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, beginning with Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).

Boyega was born on March 17, 1992, in the Camberwell district of London, and grew up in Peckham. His parents, Abigail, a carer, and Samson Adegboyega, a Pentecostal minister, are both of Yoruba descent. Boyega had his first acting role in a primary school play. At age nine, he was noticed by Teresa Early, the artistic director of Theatre Peckham, where he spent time outside school hours until age fourteen. He attended Westminster City School, studied for a National Diploma in Performing Arts at South Thames College, and briefly enrolled at the University of Greenwich before dropping out to focus on acting. He trained at the Identity School of Acting in London.

Boyega began his stage career appearing in theatre productions including Six Parties and Category B before starring in Attack the Block. In 2011, he appeared in the drama film Junkhearts and was cast in the television pilot Da Brick. Screen International named him one of the UK Stars of Tomorrow in 2011. He subsequently appeared in the film adaptation of Half of a Yellow Sun.

In April 2014, Boyega was cast as Finn, a stormtrooper who leaves the First Order to join the opposition, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). He reprised the role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). During this period, he also starred in the drama Detroit (2017) and played the lead role of Jake Pentecost in Pacific Rim Uprising (2018), a film he co-produced.

Boyega starred as Leroy Logan in Red, White and Blue, part of Steve McQueen's anthology series Small Axe, winning a Golden Globe Award for his performance. In 2022, he starred in the feature film Breaking and portrayed King Ghezo in the historical drama The Woman King. He subsequently played the titular character and multiple other roles in the science-fiction comedy They Cloned Tyrone (2023).

Boyega formed his independent production company, UpperRoom Entertainment Limited (also known as UpperRoom Productions), in January 2016. In addition to his Golden Globe, he won the BAFTA Rising Star Award and the Trophée Chopard at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. He was named to the Powerlist of the most influential people in the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent in 2020 and 2021. Outside of acting, Boyega has engaged in public advocacy, including speaking at a Black Lives Matter rally in London.