John Boyega rose to prominence with his portrayal of Finn in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, but he was forced to beat out a slew of other actors for the role. J.J. Abrams was at the helm of the revival's first installment, 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The modern film series featured figures from George Lucas' original trilogy but it also incorporated a number of new faces at the front and center of the plot - and casting those newcomers was a long and arduous process.
When Finn was introduced in The Force Awakens, he was a First Order stormtrooper who went by the designation FN-2187. After being traumatized during his first ground mission, the young stormtrooper defected, fleeing the First Order with the help of a captured Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. Now going by "Finn," the ex-member of the First Order wound up meeting Rey and BB-8 on Jakku before joining the Resistance's efforts. Despite his past, Finn became a key member in the Resistance's fight against the First Order. He bravely volunteered for a dangerous mission in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and nearly sacrificed himself during the Battle of Crait. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Finn still served as a vital member, aligning with other defected stormtroopers and leading a ground attack against the Final Order's Sith fleet on Exegol.
When The Force Awakens was still in early development, Finn's character wasn't fully realized. At one point, his name was Sam but his physical description was open-ended. Due to this, Abrams and the casting team didn't have a specific actor in mind. They did, however, want a relatively unknown at the time to follow Lucas' tactic with the 1977 original film. There were many young actors who auditioned or at least had contact with Lucasfilm when casting for The Force Awakens began. In 2014, Zac Efron said he met with Lucasfilm producers, but he didn't confirm whether or not he auditioned for a part (despite reports from 2013 suggesting he and Ryan Gosling tested for roles). Miles Teller, however, confirmed in early 2014 that he did audition for the film, though he admitted he wasn't much of a Star Wars fan (via MovieWeb). His name later came up when Lucasfilm was searching for their young Han Solo, but he didn't get that part either. Michael B. Jordan, meanwhile, was unsure about how serious Lucasfilm was with him, suggesting in 2014 that the studio was looking at every young actor in Hollywood. It's unclear if he ever auditioned for Finn or was merely looked at in a broad way - but at one point he was in consideration for The Force Awakens.
What Helped John Boyega Get The Role Of Finn
While the aforementioned actors were among many to audition for The Force Awakens, it was Boyega who ultimately nabbed the part of Finn. Abrams was aware of Boyega due to the young actor's debut role in 2011's Attack the Block. The sci-fi comedy wasn't widely known but it had signs of a cult status. Due to his performance in the film, Boyega was invited to audition for Star Wars. The actor was put at the top of the list but with a large number of considerations, the auditioning process lasted seven months. In the end, Abrams came back to Boyega, realizing that he was the embodiment of Finn. Boyega, who was set to star in the Jesse Owens biopic, Race, dropped out of the role and took a starring role in one of the most popular franchises in history.
Aside from his work in Attack the Block, Boyega did a lot of research ahead of his audition process. He watched the audition tapes of the original Star Wars cast and tried to emulate their methods. The tactic was deemed effective since he impressed the producers and casting team from the very start. Boyega has since grown into a superstar, acquiring solo lead roles in big-budget films. He may never play Finn again but he has a bright future considering he hasn't even reached 30 years old yet.