Since voicing his anger over the treatment of his character Finn, the 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' actor shares hopes that his decision to take a stand will encourage the increase of cast and crew diversity.

• Nov 3, 2020

AceShowbiz - John Boyega has settled his differences with Disney executives over his character's role in the "Star Wars" franchise - but wants them to hire more black filmmakers.

The British actor went public with his anger at "Star Wars" producers earlier this year, accusing them of sidelining his character, Finn, after the opening 2015 instalment of the latest trilogy.

Since his criticisms were made public in GQ magazine, he says he's spoken to executives - and hopes his decision to take a stand will encourage them, and other Hollywood studios, to increase the diversity of their casts and crews.

"It was a very honest, a very transparent conversation," Boyega tells The Hollywood Reporter. "There was a lot of explaining on their end in terms of the way they saw things. They gave me a chance also to explain what my experience was like."

"I'd hope that me being so open with my career, at this stage, would help the next man, the guy that wants to be the assistant DOP (director of photography), the guy that wants to be a producer. I hope that the conversation is not such a taboo or elephant in the room now, because someone just came and said it."

The "Detroit" star has earned plaudits for his honest outspokenness on racism and other issues, and says it's just his way of cutting through a "system" in which there's a lot of "pretence."

"I don't care about trying to mesh in with the system in order to secretly work it," he adds. "That's just not my way. Everyone's just got to have an honest and open conversation. It doesn't have to be conflicting or rude, but it's a chance for us to actually, really and truly understand where each other is coming from."

His next role comes in "Red, White and Blue", a part of director Steve McQueen's "Small Axe" anthology of films about black Britons.