John Boyega isn’t afraid to ruffle some racists’ feathers.
After being cast as a comedic Stormtrooper in the Star Wars franchise, many an angry bigot was up in arms over the addition of Boyega, a rising talent whose film credits include Attack The Block and Imperial Dreams.
Next on his hit list are the whitewashed Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings blockbusters.
In an interview with GQ, the talented British-Nigerian actor said:
There are no black people on Game of Thrones. You don’t see one black person in Lord of the Rings. I ain’t paying money to always see one type of person on-screen.
Because you see different people from different backgrounds, different cultures, every day. Even if you’re a racist, you have to live with that. We can ruffle up some feathers.
Boyega’s statement echoes that of David Oyelowo – of Ava DuVernay’s Selma – who also criticised Game Of Thrones.
He correctly pointed out that there is no absolutely reason why the continents of Westeros and Essos shouldn’t be home to characters of different skin colours.
You can see just what David and John mean in UNILAD‘s Game of Thrones season six recap below:
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Game of Thrones recently disappointed fans when they invited Ed Sheeran on set for a cameo role – a chance many skilled actors would give their right arm for. The whole saga evoked some serious questions about the lack of diversity in casting.
Complaints over diversity in film and TV have been spreading like Wildfire ever since the #OscarsSoWhite scandal.
The 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report shows that while minorities account for more than half of American moviegoers, minority representation in films has dipped since 2013.
Yet films with higher rates of diversity – such as Moonlight and Straight Outta Compton – tend to have higher box office numbers, and equally, TV shows have higher ratings. So, diversity in film and TV is not only vital to fair and just representation in entertainment; it’s also damn good business.
Get to know, Hollywood.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.