John Boyega is one of Hollywood’s fastest rising stars. With a key role in the rebooted Star Wars franchise and the upcoming Kathryn Bigelow film Detroit under his belt, the sky is the limit for Boyega.
Still, despite all the fame, Boyega still deals with problems that every Black man and woman has encountered. Speaking with GQ, the actor recalled the time he was racially profiled while visiting a friend.
While waiting for his friend to buzz him into the apartment building, Boyega walked in behind a couple who had keys. The building’s concierge called his friend to ask if he knew Boyega because the couple had complained about a suspicious figure.
“The concierge goes, ‘Oh, because we had some residents who called and said that someone a bit suspicious came through the door,’” he said. “I looked at my boy and was just like, ‘You know what, man? Ring that concierge back.’ I said, ‘Never call the apartment again with that kind of query.’”
In the interview, Boyega also touched on the lack of diversity in film, saying, “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 upcoming film Detroit hits theaters August 3, while Star Wars fans will have to wait a little longer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi to hit theaters December 15.