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John Boyega Says Disney Sidelined People of Color in ‘Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy

John Boyega

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    John Boyega, the British-Nigerian actor who took on the role of Finn in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, spoke out about how Disney sidelined people of color in the latest installments, including Kelly Marie Tran.

    In an interview with GQ, the 28-year-old actor discussed Disney’s way of handling some of its cast in the new “Star Wars” trilogy, which includes Boyega and other cast members of color, Naomi Ackie, Oscar Isaac and Tran.

    “Like, you guys knew what to do with Daisy Ridley, you knew what to do with Adam Driver,” Boyega said. “You knew what to do with these other people, but when it came to Kelly Marie Tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know f**k all. So what do you want me to say? What they want you to say is, ‘I enjoyed being a part of it. It was a great experience…’ Nah, nah, nah. I’ll take that deal when it’s a great experience. They gave all the nuance to Adam Driver, all the nuance to Daisy Ridley. Let’s be honest. Daisy knows this. Adam knows this. Everybody knows. I’m not exposing anything.”

    Boyega has always been vocal when it comes to supporting his fellow cast members in “Star Wars.” In June 2018, he slammed fans of the franchise after some of them came after Tran, who played as Rose Tico in the films, and eventually drove her off of social media.

    Tran, 31, also revealed she had to undergo therapy for all the hate she received.

    Recently, however, Tran landed the role of voicing Southeast Asian princess Raya, in the upcoming Disney film “Raya and the Last Dragon.” Fans were elated with the news as many agreed with Boyega’s comments and thought this would be a second chance to show off her acting chops.

    Boyega’s interview raises questions about the future of entertainment for people of color in Hollywood alongside their white thespians.

    Featured Image via Getty

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