John Boyega may not yet be as well-known as Mark Hamill or Harrison Ford, but the new star of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' will soon be a household name. The 23-year-old British actor will portray Finn, a Stormtrooper who ends up leaving the First Order and becomes a Jedi-in-training.
Although 'Episode VII' has yet to be released, there is already a lot of buzz about John Boyega. He will grace the cover of GQ Style magazine, and in the accompanying interview, Boyega offered more details about the mysterious Finn.
"Finn is dope. His story is so epic," Boyega said of his character. "It's a story that's never been seen before, but it also mirrors the stories of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. And he's quirky and charismatic and funny. For me, he was the best character in the script."
John Boyega also revealed that the script for 'The Force Awakens' moved him to tears.
"When I read the script I cried, and I'm not really a big crier," he admitted. "I'm more like a frog-in-the- throat kind of guy, who'll try to hold it in and make sure I don't let it all out."
It probably wasn't only the script that could make John Boyega cry. The young actor also confirmed that he went through several months just auditioning for the role of Finn.
"I was unleashed into seven months of auditions," he said. "It was like 'The X Factor' but without the TV show around it. It was intense."
But in the end, it was all worth it. John Boyega didn't only win the coveted lead role in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens;' he also discovered that training with a lightsaber is a pretty good workout.
"They're heavy, those things, and there's a lot of running involved," Boyega admitted. "I was trained on a high incline treadmill so when it came to it I could sprint around the desert in a leather jacket. They should do a 'Star Wars' weight loss program."
Catch John Boyega as Finn in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' which premieres on December 18.
