John Boyega has been hailed a ‘hero’ by Star Wars producer LucasFilm following his impassioned speech at the Black Lives Matter demonstration in London’s Hyde Park.
The big screen star, 28, spoke out against the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 2 to the 15,000-strong crowd that had gathered on Wednesday.
He warned that his activism could damage his career – but he has since been inundated with support from the movie industry.
Support: John Boyega, 28, has been hailed a ‘hero’ by Star Wars producers LucasFilm following his impassioned speech at the Black Lives Matter demonstration in London’s Hyde Park
LucasFilm shared a link to a video of John’s speech on the Star Wars website alongside a caption that read: ‘Lucasfilm stands with John Boyega and his message that, “Now is the time. Black lives have always mattered. Black lives have always been important. Black lives have always meant something.”
‘The evil that is racism must stop. We will commit to being part of the change that is long overdue in the world.
‘John Boyega, you are our hero.’
Together: LucasFilm shared a link to a video of John’s speech on the Star Wars website alongside a caption that began: ‘Lucasfilm stands with John Boyega and his message…’
Risk: John (pictured in Star Wars: Episode IX) had warned that his activism could damage his career – but he has since been inundated with support from the movie industry
And a whole host of other famous faces were quick to add their support including Star Wars legend Mark Hamill who admitted he had never felt prouder of his co-star.
Mark tweeted: ‘Never been more proud of you, John. @JohnBoyega [heart emoji], dad [sic].’
Similarly 9 Rides writer and director Matthew A. Cherry urged other filmmakers to work with John.
He tweeted: ‘I would work with John Boyega and I urge other Non-Black creators to affirm that they have his back as well.
‘Cause I know most Black creators got his back. And I also know it’s not us that would try and black ball him either.’
Powerful: And a whole host of other famous faces were quick to add their support including Star Wars legend Mark Hamill who admitted he had never felt prouder of his co-star
Writer-and-director Seth Graeme-Smith replied: ‘Any project. Any role he wants.’
He later added: ‘I can’t think of a single project that wouldn’t be elevated by the participation of John Boyega. Not one.’
Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan was another to reply and admit she would be delighted to cast him in one of her films.
She wrote: ‘I would love to work with John Boyega.’
Back-up: Writer-and-director Seth Graeme-Smith said: ‘I can’t think of a single project that wouldn’t be elevated by the participation of John Boyega. Not one’
Harmony: Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan was another to reply and admit she would be delighted to cast him in one of her films
And John’s Pacific Rim: Uprising director, Stephen DeKnight, told Cathy she would not regret it if she did.
He replied: ‘You would have a blast.
‘John Boyega was one of the most prepared, talented, and laugh-until-you-cry-funny human beings I’ve ever had the privilege to work with.’
Jordan Peele also offered reassurance to the Detroit actor by simply adding: ‘We got you, John.’
Resounding: Pacific Rim: Uprising director, Stephen DeKnight, told Cathy she would not regret it if she did
Reassurance: Jordan Peele also offered reassurance to the Detroit actor by simply adding: ‘We got you, John’
It comes after George Floyd, 46, an African-American man, died on May 25 after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
His death has sparked days of demonstrations across the nation over police brutality against African-Americans.
The Minneapolis policeman accused of killing Floyd, Derek Chauvin, was taken into custody Friday and charged with third-degree murder, officials said.
John told protestors: ‘We are a physical representation of our support for George Floyd. We are a physical representation of our support for Sandra Bland. We are a physical representation of our support for Trayvon Martin. We are a physical representation of our support for Stephen Lawrence.
Heartache: It comes after George Floyd, 46, (pictured) an African-American man, died on May 25 after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis, Minnesota
‘I’m speaking to you from my heart. Look, I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f*** that.’
He went on: ‘Today is about innocent people who were halfway through their process, we don’t know what George Floyd could have achieved, we don’t know what Sandra Bland could have achieved, but today we’re going to make sure that won’t be an alien thought to our young ones.
‘I need you to understand how painful this s**t is. I need you to understand how painful it is to be reminded every day that your race means nothing and that isn’t the case any more, that was never the case any more.’
He urged protesters to remain peaceful as they demonstrated over the death of Mr Floyd.
‘It is very, very important that we keep control of this moment. That we make this as peaceful and as organised as possible,’ he said.
Demonstration: Crowds gathered in central London at 1pm for the protest with many carrying signs and chanting: ‘no justice, no peace’
‘Because they want us to mess up, they want us to be disorganised, but not today.
‘This message is specifically for black men, black men we need to take care of our black women. They’re ours. They are our future.
‘We cannot demonise our own. We are the pillars of the family.
‘Imagine this, a nation that is set up with individual families that are thriving, that are healthy, that communicate, that raise their children in love have a better rate of becoming better human beings.
‘Black men, it starts with you. It’s done man, we can’t be trash no more. We have to be better.
‘You lot came today, you left your kids, and when you see your kids they’re aimlessly playing, they don’t understand what’s going on.
Stand as one: Most of the protesters wore gloves and masks and also chanted ‘black lives matter’ and ‘we will not be silent’
Progress: A further demonstration by Black Lives Matter is scheduled for 1pm on Saturday in Parliament Square
‘Today’s the day that we remind them that we are dedicated and this is a lifelong dedication.
‘Some of you are artists, some of you are bankers, some of you are lawyers, some of you own shop stores.
‘You are important, your individual power, your individual right is very, very important, we can all join together to make this a better world.’
Crowds gathered in central London at 1pm for the protest with many carrying signs and chanting ‘no justice, no peace’.
Most of the protesters wore gloves and masks and also chanted ‘black lives matter’ and ‘we will not be silent’.
A further demonstration by Black Lives Matter is scheduled for 1pm on Saturday in Parliament Square.