Actor John Boyega has explained his reasoning behind taking other roles between Star Wars entries.
Boyega hit the big time when he signed on for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Upon the film’s release he was catapulted to an entirely new level of fame, much like Mark Hamill before him all those years ago.
Boyega has since taken on roles in other projects, not content with only filming his scenes for the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
“I knew I wanted to work between the [Star Wars] films,” Boyega told The Hollywood Reporter, “because I understand most of the population would probably be introduced to me through Star Wars, and not all of them would go back to see my early work, so there was obviously something to prove, in terms of versatility and the other stuff I could do.”
While it might be a stretch that Boyega had something to prove by taking on other roles, it’s certainly a sensible decision on his part. It’s very easy to get type cast in Hollywood, so diversifying your filmography quickly is a shrewd move in deed.
You can currently see Boyega in Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit. The Last Jedi is set for release in December of this year.
Originally published August 10, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
