John Boyega Not Looking to Return to Star Wars, Acknowledges Disney’s Improvement in Combating Racism

I feel so bad for him, Daisy, and Kelly. I know at least some of them were huge fans of Star Wars- to have such an incredible experience as starring in these films, yet having that also be the thing that understandably kills your interest in the series... man, that's just a bummer.

Sometimes I really don't like our fandom- at least The Cantina tends to be pretty good.

 

BOYEGA/ FINN is constantly compared to Ford/Han yet did Ford experience racism or backlash? Ford's career blossomed, Indie anyone??? while Boyega must take small roles to survive as an actor... but yet, the constant comparison exist... that's one of the many problems... its ridiculous, from the point of view of a person of color...

 

In one of the interviews, Boyega said something to the effect that he sought smaller, more artistically gratifying parts (or something like that), and that he was steering away from big blockbuster things?

Ford was very lucky in that he had Lucas & Spielberg as buddies, without which he'd probably not be a movie star at all, while Boyega has worked his way up on his own merit, one rung of the ladder at the time; so their situations are very different and hardly comparable. I don't think there's an actor alive who can attribute their movie star success to plain dumb luck as much as Harrison Ford, and, having gotten a foot in the door, Ford pushed hard for the biggest roles.

That said, there is definitely racism going on in the industry, as elsewhere, of course...

 

I'm struggling to understand what makes Moses experience with racism in the fandom different from John's. Did Lucasfilm fail to condemn racism directed at John at the time? Am I missing something?

 

That's what the interview implies, that Boyega and Tran were told to ignore it and look the other way, or something. In the case of Ingram's experience, the PR people (and Ewan McGregor) were on it much faster, to address the BS, politics be damned. Something like that.

 

That's not the way I remember it at all. I recall some fans complaining about the fact that racism was even being mentioned when "the quality of the writing" etc should be seen as the cause of some of the reactions. Both with Boyega and with Ingram.

 

Oh, the fans are absolutely poodoo, no doubt about that. What I was refering to was Disney's handling of it. I think Boyega & Tran were told to forget about it, the racism stuff, while Ingram's suffering was better addressed... or something like that? I could be wrong, though.

 

Maybe I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure there was backlash to "Kennedy blaming the fans", "Kennedy calling everyone who criticises TFA a racist.." at the time.

 

Oh, there absolutely was.

 

One of the reasons I love Star Wars and Star Trek is that racism between humans seems to have past, so many alien species, I would like to live in a galaxy like that.

I've experienced racism which I try to brush off, for example, the caucasian security guard at the local department store who follows me around simply because I'm a person of color, hey I'm an Officer too, do you want to see my ID, badge, and credit cards?

Or when the police stop me on the road, and realize, oh he's an Officer too, he can afford that car...

As an aspiring artist, some of the artist that inspire me, lived in the early 20th century, when people of African descent were lynched, and burned alive, for simply being a person of color, whether those artist that inspire me were racist or not I still enjoy the art they produced...

Racism exist in America in almost every facet of life... its time to be transported to a galaxy far, far, away...

 

Actually that is not what they did. But we had these discussions here already, it's always taking words out of the context they were spoken.

 

I can't even imagine how f***ing infuriating and draining it must be to exist as a person of color under all that BS racism... not to even mention, dangerous.

Star Wars can be excellent escapism, but even more important, it can be an inspiration for people, which is something Lucas has often stated. The world wouldn've been even darker without Star Wars <3

 

Who is "they"?

Are we not permitted to talk about the topic of SWNN Probe's OP if it's highlighting an interview with Boyega covering his experience of being in SW?

 

Exactly, well said my brother, from another mother... I don't have any hate for white people, I would love to co-exist naturally, but there are those for whatever reason, HATE... as Yoda said, FEAR leads to the dark side...

 

They are KK and JJA who both were said to have insulted all critical fans as racists and bigots, which they didn't IMHO.
And of course you can talk about the topic, but we don't necessarily need to open the topic of KK and JJ insulting fans here again, that one is discussed in other threads at length several years ago.

 

Comparison of the Moses Ingram experience with John's experience and the respective response from LFL are what's being discussed in the interview being highlighted.

We should see continuous improvement in how companies like LFL respond to these matters. (Until they are no longer an issue). But the suggestion that we were at a zero point after TFA came out compared with the response to the comments made about Ingram is inaccurate at best. It's just basic logic. If some sections characterised LFL/Kennedy's invocation of anti-racism in the wake of John's starring in TFA as an insult to the fans, then by definition LFL did not remain silent at the time, as it is being implied at points in this discussion. Nobody requires John to appear grateful or satisfied with his lot compared with Ingram's recent situation. But the perceived increase in support given to actors since his experience does not mean that there was no support at all at the time.

Since the "controversy" of LFL's response was discussed at length at the time then it's even more odd that the article entertains the notion that LFL remained silent.