By George Stephens • Published: 05 Dec 2019 • 14:14
Credit twitter
Star Wars actor John Boyega says he’s met Americans who don’t realise there are black people living in London.
The 27-year-old, who was brought up in Peckham by British-Nigerian parents, says he thinks such attitudes are fuelled by the under-representation of black UK talent.
He spoke with the Radio Times of his experience while promoting his first film, Attack The Block.
“I’m black British and I’m from London,” he said.
“And that in itself is something that the world doesn’t know about yet. I met American people – civilians of a first-world country – who were confused that there were black people in London.”
After starring in the 2011 sci-fi comedy, Boyega was cast in Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015, after a lengthy seven-month audition process.
He went on to explain why representation in popular culture is very important “That’s why entertainment is so special, it’s a great chance to bring people together and open them up to things they haven’t seen before.”
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.