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There aren’t too many actual overnight success stories in Hollywood. All of the ones that seem that way are usually built on the back of an invisible struggle that eventually culminates in a life-changing opportunity. Such was the case with John Boyega, who was handed the chance of a lifetime when he landed the role of Finn, aka FN-2187, in 2015’s “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens.” It turns out, he has Tom Cruise to thank for that. Sort of.
During a panel at Emerald City Comic Con 2025 (via Popverse), Boyega was discussing his role as Finn in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy. The actor explained that it was actually his turn in the 2011 cult sci-fi classic “Attack the Block” that ultimately landed him the role in director J.J. Abrams’ revival of the beloved franchise. Not only that, it was Cruise who introduced Abrams to that movie in the first place:
“I’m thankful to Tom Cruise, who loved ‘Attack the Block.’ He was editing ‘Mission: Impossible’ at the time with J.J. Abrams. Tom told J.J., ‘You’ve got to watch this kid in ‘Attack the Block.” J.J. watched it, and one thing led to another, and four or five years later, I was in the movie.”
Cruise and Abrams first worked together on 2006’s “Mission: Impossible III,” which served as the latter’s feature directorial debut. Abrams has remained on board as a producer on the “Mission: Impossible” property ever since, meaning he and Cruise have been working together for a long time now. Not to mention, when a guy like Cruise recommends something, it’s probably worth taking seriously. That’s precisely what Abrams did, it seems.
Tom Cruise greatly influenced Star Wars (even if he didn’t mean to)
Once Abrams got the job of directing “The Force Awakens,” there was tremendous pressure on getting the casting right. Sure, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher were returning as Han, Luke, and Leia, respectively, but Disney was trying to build a future for the franchise. It had plans for a whole trilogy and needed leads to anchor all three films.
Daisy Ridley was at the top of the list as Rey, the Force-sensitive girl from Jakku who is thrust into an adventure she could have never imagined. There was also Kylo Ren, the new big villain of the trilogy who was ultimately played by Adam Driver. Then there was Finn, a Stormtrooper who defects from the First Order after enduring too much of the organization’s brutality first hand. When Abrams was looking to fill those shoes, it was a particularly talented up-and-comer from “Attack the Block” that came to mind. Might that have happened if Cruise hadn’t recommended the movie to him several years earlier?
“The Force Awakens” went on to become one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, catapulting Boyega and the rest of its cast to superstardom. Boyega did have issues with the way the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy played out, suggesting that he and other characters were “pushed to the side” at one point. Still, it’s hard to deny that his career took off as a result of his role. Leave it to Tom Cruise to indirectly shape the future of Hollywood.
You can grab the “Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Complete Box Set” on Blu-ray from Amazon.
