John Boyega’s father jokingly wishes that his son was in movies like Die Hard. Boyega currently stars in the Viola Davis-led film The Woman King. The Woman King has so far received positive reception in its early reviews. Boyega will also star alongside Jamie Foxx in the sci-fi comedy They Cloned Tyrone, which is set for release in December.
Boyega, now 30, has been acting in feature films since his teenage years. In 2011, he made his movie debut as Moses in the teen sci-fi action film Attack the Block. He rose to greater prominence when he starred as Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Finn became a favorite character among fans of the modern Star Wars trilogy and appeared in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker as well. These roles put Boyega on the map in the blockbuster acting sphere and were a gateway to his roles in The Woman King and similar high-profile films.
Boyega’s father, however, isn't always the biggest fan of his career choices. In a recent interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Boyega joked that his dad is “not quite interested” in all the “artistic movies” he's starred in recently. He went on to share that Die Hard is one movie he remembers his dad watching often when he was a kid, leading him to encourage Boyega to have a career more like Bruce Willis. Check out Boyega's comments below:
My dad recently said to me, he goes ‘You know, John, all these artistic movies that you are doing, I’m not quite interested in them.’ My dad just wants me to jump off of buildings. He actually asked me why my career is not like Bruce Willis. I’m like, ‘I’m trying to connect with the audience, Dad!’ He’s just like, ‘No, no, jump off a building, and then you’re a star.’ Once they see the action, you watch Attack the Block, and it was kind of like, first film, I see you doing a bit of action, he was like, ‘yeah, oh yeah, he’s going to be my action star son.’ And then I started doing all these emotional in-depth character arc movies, and he’s like ‘ugh, oh character, artists.’
Die Hard is what he enjoys. [Bruce Willis] that's his guy. So Bruce Willis is who my dad compares my career to at every single point, it's Bruce Willis.
Though many might see Boyega’s turn to films like The Woman King as an exciting step for the actor, it's amusing that his father doesn't quite agree. However, Boyega also makes a point to note how supportive both of his parents are of his career, so it's likely his dad is joking with his suggestion Boyega star in movies like Die Hard. Still, Boyega’s father might just get what he wants in due time, as the actor has more action projects on the way.
Not only is They Cloned Tyrone likely to have action elements, Attack the Block 2 is currently in the works as well, with Boyega helping with the movie's story. Considering the original film had a fair bit of action, the sequel will likely be the same. So, while Boyega's dad may have to wait a little while before his son is an action star on the level of Willis in Die Hard, it could happen in the future.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live!