Hollywood rallies around John Boyega following Black Lives Matter protest speech

Leading actors, directors, and writers in Hollywood and the wider entertainment industry have rallied around John Boyega after the Star Wars actor gave an impassioned speech during the Black Lives Matter protest in London.

Boyega – who declared “I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f*** that,” before addressing the crowds – was initially supported by Oscar-winning Hair Love writer and director Matthew A. Cherry, who said on Twitter, “I would work with John Boyega and I urge other Non-Black creators to affirm that they have his back as well.”

Following the tweet, several of film and TV’s leading lights lent their support.

Such was the volume of responses both reaching out to Boyega for upcoming projects and promising that, yes, he very much has a career after his Black Lives Matter speech and it’d be almost impossible to list everyone.

Among those shouting from the rooftops about Boyega on social media included fellow Star Wars castmate Mark Hamill, Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, directors Phil Lord, Duncan Jones, and Edgar Wright, Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker, Elizabeth Banks, Cathy Yan, Paul Feig, Peyton Reed and many, many more.

During the London protest, Boyega told crowds: “Black lives have always mattered. We have always been important. We have always meant something. We have always succeeded regardless. And now is the time. I ain’t waiting… We are a physical representation of our support for George Floyd. We are a physical representation of our support for Sandra Bland. We are a physical representation of our support for Trayvon Martin. We are a physical representation of our support for Stephen Lawrence.”

Boyega’s next project is Rebel Ridge, a Netflix movie which Variety describes as a “high-velocity thriller that explores systemic American injustices through bone-breaking action sequences, suspense and dark humour.”

For more on the Black Lives Matter movement – why it’s important, how to support, protest, and what you can do next – read journalist Elle Osili-Wood’s article here.

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