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Star Wars Actor John Boyega Talks Racist Reactions To His Role


Star Wars: The Force Awakens star John Boyega has fired back at racist fans who have questioned the casting of a black actor as a Stormtrooper in the upcoming J.J. Abrams-directed film.

In an interview with V magazine, Boyega said that the negative reaction of some fans "was unnecessary". "I'm in the movie, what are you going to do about it? You either enjoy it or you don't." He also stated that increased onscreen diversity was a fact. "I'm not saying get used to the future ... [it] is already happening. People of color and women are increasingly being shown on screen. For things to be whitewashed just doesn't make sense."

The issue began in November 2014, when the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released. (Some narrow-minded commenters even insistent the Stormtroopers had to be an army of all-white clones.) Boyega responded to questions over the ethnicity of his character in an Instagram post, writing: "Get used to it."

The 23-year-old London-born actor, who starred in the sci-fi thriller Attack the Block, added that he saw his performance as a way of confronting prejudice. "All the films I've done have had a secret commentary on stereotypical mentalities," he said. "It's about getting people to drop a prejudiced state of mind and realise: ‘we're just watching normal people.'"

In the same interview, Boyega revealed he was being mentored by Robert Downey Jr. "He's helped me prepare for how my life is going to change, and that has been inspiring. I'm talking to someone who understands the power of choices, both positive and negative."

Star Wars: The Force Awakens will hit U.S. theaters on Dec. 18. Find out the details about its world premiere here.

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