John Boyega, star of The Force Awakens and the upcoming The Last Jedi, has hit out at Game Of Thrones in an interview, criticising the popular HBO show for its lack of black characters and actors.
Speaking to GQ, the British actor was reflecting on incidences of racism he has faced in his everyday life, including an incident in which he visited a friend’s apartment building in London for a writing session.
He says he was waiting for his friend to buzz him up when he entered the building behind a couple with keys; a short time later, the concierge called up to inquire about the young man in the hoodie (Boyega) who had recently entered.
His friend vouched for him, then:
“The concierge goes, ‘Oh, because we had some residents who called and said that someone a bit suspicious came through the door.’ 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.’”
This led to a broader observation about representation in pop culture, and Boyega vented:
“There are no black people on Game of Thrones. You don’t see one black person in Lord of the Rings. 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.”
While Game Of Thrones has cast a number of of black actors in supporting roles, the bigger question of representation in the show has even been hit upon by author George R.R. Martin, who said:
“Westeros around 300 AC is nowhere near as diverse as 21st century America, of course… but with that being said, I do have some ‘characters of color’ who will have somewhat larger roles in WINDS OF WINTER. Admittedly, these are secondary and tertiary characters, though not without importance.”
Boyega will soon be seen in Kathryn Bigelow‘s Detroit, about the riots that took place in the city in 1967 following the deaths of three young black men.
Detroit is out in Australia in November while The Last Jedi hits cinemas in December.
Source: GQ.
Photo: Image Group LA / Getty.
