How Star Wars actors’ careers have changed through the decades

9. John Boyega

As turncoat stormtrooper, Finn, John Boyega was among a crop of fresh new faces that launched the Disney era sequel trilogy of the franchise. Before his casting, Boyega had worked steadily in the United Kingdom, most notably on Attack the Block and Imperial Dreams.

Boyega’s star quality was evident from the beginning. Alongside co-star Daisy Ridley, Boyega showcased his charisma, humor, and action hero skills in The Force Awakens. It became clear Boyega had chemistry with nearly all of his co-stars, including Oscar Isaac and the droids.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to keep more backlash from happening. Just like with the prequels, the bitter and toxic portion of the fanbase returned, except this time the internet was more developed as a platform for rampant harassment.

As only the third Black man to be cast in a franchise greatly lacking diversity, Boyega faced harassment from the beginning from fans and within the production environment alongside his other castmates of color and wasn’t protected by Disney.

Luckily, Boyega has since moved on to greener pastures, starring in movies like Detroit and garnering a Golden Globe this year for his performance in Small Axe. Boyega also has four films in various states of production with no indication his career is slowing down anytime soon.