John Boyega claims critics think black British actors are ‘all tea and crumpets’ amid diversity row

The Star Wars actor has hit back at claims that black Brits can't play African Americans 
Hitting back: John Boyega says British actors aren't all 'tea and crumpets'
Dave Benett
Jennifer Ruby10 August 2017
The Weekender

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and theatre ticket deals

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

John Boyega has claimed that the row over black British actors playing African Americans is down to critics thinking the UK is “all tea and crumpets.”

The Peckham-born Star Wars said a “lack of knowledge” is to blame as many people don’t know the “black experience” outside of the US.

Boyega, who recently hit back at Samuel L Jackson for suggesting that British actors could not play African Americans authentically, insisted that he was not “detached” from race relations because he lives in the UK.

“It's a lack of knowledge, a lot of people have that opinion based on the fact they don't know about the black experience outside of America,” he told the Hollywood Reporter.

ES Magazine: John Boyega - In pictures

1/8

“All of these lives that they think are blurred to us (black Britons), because they think it is all tea and crumpets in the UK, they don't understand that race relations, the black experience, the vibe of blacks,” he added.

"We are not detached from that just because we are not in the States."

He told how one troll on Twitter sent him a message telling him to take a US citizenship test before playing an American.

Boyega replied: "What exam do I take for Star Wars?”

He added: “But I don't get frustrated by that because it's a lack of knowledge and also it's understandable because it's a sensitive time.”

Earlier this year Jackson criticised Jordan Peele’s decision to cast Brit Daniel Kaluuya in smash hit Get Out instead of an African American.

“I don't know what the love affair with all that is," he told US radio station Hot 97.

“We've got a lot of brothers here that need to work too. I think it's great that the movie's doing everything it's doing and people are loving it. But... I know the young brother who's in the movie, and he's British.

“I tend to wonder what that movie would have been with an American brother who really feels that.”

Boyega hit back on Twitter, writing: “Black brits vs African American. A stupid a** conflict we don't have time for.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in