John Boyega

John Boyega is a British actor best known for his roles in "Attack the Block" (2011) and "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens." Boyega was born on March 17, 1992 in London, England to Nigerian parents. He was interested in performing from a young age, participating in school plays and taking theater classes. He attended South Thames College, where he was a performing arts major and played the titular role in "Othello." He went on to take classes at the Identity Drama School, where he was cast in many stage productions.

His first television role was as a bully in the supernatural and short-lived "Being Human" (BBC 2008-2013) spinoff "Becoming Human" (BBC 2011). He then took on a lead role in the sci-fi comedy movie "Attack the Block." Boyega played Moses, a gang leader facing an alien invasion, a role that won Boyega multiple nominations for best breakthrough performance in England.

He went on to star in the film adaptation of popular Nigerian-American author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Half of a Yellow Sun" (2013). In April 2014, it was revealed that Boyega would star as Finn the stormtrooper in J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015). This decision made Boyega the recipient of some racist internet bullying, but he responded by posting a message on Instagram telling those who thought there couldn't be a black stormtrooper to "get used to it."