John Boyega

John Boyega
Boyega at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International
Born	John Adedayo B Adegboyega (1992-03-17) 17 March 1992 (age 24) Peckham, London, England, United Kingdom
Alma mater	University of Greenwich
Occupation	Actor, producer
Years active	2011–present

John Adedayo Adegboyega (born 17 March 1992), known professionally as John Boyega, is an English actor and producer best known for playing Finn in the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the seventh film of the Star Wars series. Boyega rose to prominence in his native United Kingdom for his role as Moses in the 2011 sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block.

Some of Boyega's other credits include historical fiction drama film Half of a Yellow Sun (2013), four episodes of the television series 24: Live Another Day and the drama Imperial Dreams (2014).

Boyega was born in Peckham, south London, to Nigerian parents, Abigail and Samson. His first role was a leopard in a play at his primary school.

Boyega was a pupil at Oliver Goldsmith Primary School. While acting in a play there at the age of nine, he was noticed by Teresa Early, the artistic director of Theatre Peckham, a learning theatre for young people who live in south London. After obtaining financial assistance from a hardship fund, he joined the theatre, spending his time there outside school hours between the ages of nine and 14. Boyega's father, a preacher, had wanted Boyega to become a preacher too, but was supportive of his son's theatrical interests.

In 2003, Boyega started his secondary education at Westminster City School, where he took part in various school productions. Between 2008 and 2010, he attended South Thames College at the college's Wandsworth campus to study for a National Diploma in Performing Arts. His activities at the college included playing the title role in the college's production of Othello. He then enrolled at the University of Greenwich to study BA Film Studies & Media Writing, though he later dropped out of the course to focus on his acting career.