John Boyega Wiki: Actor, Net Worth, 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' & Facts To Know

26-year-old actor John Boyega is just getting started. He is already known worldwide for his role as Finn in the ‘Star Wars’ series, but for him, that role was a stepping stone to making his dreams come true. The young actor is not about to let ‘Star Wars’ define him, or his career. Boyega was born John Adedayo B. Adegboyega in London, England to Nigerian parents, Abigail and Samson. His mother works with the disabled and his father is a preacher. He grew up in an area of London called Peckham, a poor area where he lived with his parents and two siblings in a small apartment. Teresa Early, artistic director of Theater Peckham, noticed Boyega’s talent when he was nine, and got him into an after-school program at the theater, where he studied until he was fourteen. Boyega continued acting in school plays through college, and eventually dropped out of the University of Greenwich to pursue acting. During the next few years, he trained at the Identity School of Acting in Hackney, England. After a few parts on stage, he was offered a role in ‘Attack the Block’ in 2011. ‘Attack the Block’ is a sci-fi comedy film about a group of teenagers who defend their city from an alien invasion. The film became moderately well known in England, and Boyega became a budding star after playing Moses, one of the lead characters. He was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer in 2012 for his performance in ‘Attack the Block.’ Between ‘Attack the Block’ and ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi,’ Boyega had an assortment on roles of television and in film, including the role of Jamal in ‘Junkhearts’ and playing Chris Tanner in a ‘24’ spinoff called ‘24: Live Another Day.’ But it was after he was cast in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ that his life began to change.

It was announced that Boyega was officially cast in ‘Star Wars’ in 2014, and it was later revealed that he would be playing the lead role of Finn. ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ was an enormous success, both at the box office and critically. It was proclaimed much better than the previous three ‘Star Wars’ prequels, as well as praised for its representation of women and African Americans. The film also stars Daisy Ridley as Rey, a woman Jedi, who fights against the First Order along with Finn. ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ also features classic ‘Star Wars’ characters Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). The fan response was overwhelmingly positive, and a second film was immediately put into the works.

Boyega reprised his role of Finn in 2017 in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi.’ The highly anticipated follow up to ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ did very well at the box office and received mostly positive reviews from critics and fans. Boyega joined Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Issac, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and newcomers Laura Dern and Kellie Marie Tran to form a stellar cast for the ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi.’ In between the two ‘Star Wars’ films, Boyega has been busy. He participated in other parts of the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, voicing Finn in the 'Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' and in the animated TV movie ‘Star Wars Forces of Destiny: Volume I.’ ‘Star Wars Forces of Destiny’ was turned into a TV series in 2018, and Boyega also voices Finn in the television show.

Besides ‘Star Wars,’ Boyega voices the character Dutch on ‘Tinkershrimp & Dutch,’ a British animated children’s series. He also had a supporting role in ‘The Circle,’ starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks, in 2017. ‘The Circle’ received mostly negative reviews. His other starring role of 2017 came from ‘Detroit,’ an intense drama by Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow. About white police officers torturing black prisoners, ‘Detroit’ was a departure from family-friendly fare, and proved that Boyega could play serious roles. His latest film, ‘Pacific Rim: Uprising,’ just hit theaters last week on March 23, 2018. A sequel to ‘Pacific Rim,’ it was co-produced by Boyega’s production company, Upperroom Entertainment Limited. Boyega founded the company in 2016, and ‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’ is its first film. Boyega also plays the lead role of Jake Pentecost in the film. Next year, Boyega will return to voice acting in ‘Watership Down,’ an animated series about an adventurous group of rabbits. ‘Watership Down’ also stars well known British actors Gemma Arterton, Nicholas Hoult, and Daniel Kaluuya. The ninth installment of the ‘Star Wars’ franchise will also star Boyega, but a date has yet to be set for its release.

John Boyega’s net worth is estimated at $3.5 million in 2018. He is private about his personal life, but it has been reported that he is currently dating an unidentified woman. Photos of them stepping out together surfaced around January 2018.