Page 64 - Powerlist 2020

Media, Publishing & Entertainment

John Boyega It is all a far cry from John’s early days growing up in
Actor social housing. He was born in Peckham, south London,
and grew up across the road from where schoolboy
Damilola Taylor was murdered in 2000.
As the star of the biggest movie franchise in history and Boyega started acting when he was nine, but kept it
with a growing body of work that includes theatre and a secret from his classmates and friends on the estate
commercials, Boyega is fast establishing himself as one of who were more interested in football. He joined Theatre
Britain and Hollywood’s most well-known acting talents. Peckham, after its artistic director saw him acting in his
The 27-year-old’s ascent to superstardom came when school play and later studied at the Identity School of
Star Wars director JJ Abrams hand-picked him to play Acting in Hackney. A guest spot on Law and Order UK led
the lead role of Finn in blockbuster Star Wars reboot to him being cast as the lead in the film, Attack the Block.
The Force Awakens. The movie became the third highest In June 2016, he joined the Academy Awards panel,
grossing movie of all time, with worldwide box office making him eligible to vote in the Oscars.
takings of £2billion. In 2018, John produced his first big-budget feature,
He has just finished shooting Star Wars: The Rise of Maelstrom, via his UpperRoom Productions company.
Skywalker, which is due out in December 2019, and he is set Earlier this year he was named as the first male
to star in Ridley Scott’s legal drama, Naked Singularity. ambassador for Jo Malone.

64 Powerlist 2020