Before John Boyega became a global name through Star Wars: The Force Awakens, his life looked very different. Speaking recently at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Boyega shared a story that shows just how much things can change in an instant — and how close he was to running out of options when opportunity knocked.
From £45 in the Bank to the Role of a Lifetime
At the time, Boyega had only £45 left in his bank account. After months of exhausting auditions, he received an email from director J.J. Abrams asking to meet. Boyega admitted, “I had been auditioning for so long, so I felt like he kind of took away my dignity a little bit,” recalling how he pretended to be busy when Abrams first contacted him. “I got other stuff to do, J.J.,” he joked. Abrams replied, asking where he was, and when Boyega answered that he was at an art show in Greenwich, Abrams told him to meet immediately at a restaurant in Mayfair.
Boyega said it cost £33.83 to get to the meeting, burning through most of what he had left. “Do the math,” he quipped to the audience. Every step into that restaurant made him more nervous, knowing how much was riding on this meeting. As he sat down, Abrams thanked him for going through so many rounds of auditions. Boyega even tried one last time to offer another audition, saying, “I can do British, Scottish, Nigerian, whatever.”
Instead, Abrams smiled and told him, “You’re in Star Wars.”
Boyega remembered the moment vividly, saying “the moment froze.” He noticed every little detail around him, even the number of sugar cubes on the table. The meeting became even more surreal when The Force Awakens co-writer Lawrence Kasdan walked out and told him, “Kid, this movie’s gonna change your life.”
And it did.
After hearing the news, Boyega immediately called his father to share it. He told him, “Dad, I’m gonna be in Star Wars!” Boyega then joked about how his dad, who had a strong Nigerian accent, responded: “That’s fantastic news, son! What is Star Wars?”
Finn’s Potential and What Could Have Been
At that point, Boyega had only been in three feature films. His casting as Finn, the stormtrooper-turned-rebel, launched him into one of the biggest franchises in the world. However, not everything stayed perfect. Over the years, Boyega has talked openly about his complicated feelings regarding the trilogy, including moments where he felt sidelined after the first movie. Many people have agreed that Finn had strong main character potential early on, with his stormtrooper background and natural connection to the Force, but those storylines were never fully developed.
Some have pointed out that Finn leading a stormtrooper uprising would have been a powerful story arc, bringing a fresh perspective to the saga. Others believe he was originally meant to become a Jedi alongside Rey, based on early hints like his use of a lightsaber and his strong emotional connection to the Force. Many still feel that Disney wasted the character’s potential as the trilogy progressed.
Boyega himself has been clear about how he felt about the experience, mentioning how the franchise sometimes carried an “elitist” atmosphere. While there was a lot of excitement when he first joined, the later backlash and the way his character was handled left a mark on how he viewed the entire journey.
Still, hearing him share that moment of getting cast — broke, nervous, and unsure — shows a side of the story that’s easy to forget. It was a reminder of how quickly life can flip, even when you’re down to your last few pounds.
Today, Boyega’s career continues beyond Star Wars, including standout roles in films like They Cloned Tyrone and Attack the Block. While the sequels may have had their share of missed opportunities, the memory of a young actor stepping into the unknown with £45 in his pocket remains one of the most real and inspiring parts of the story.