September 3, 2025 • 12 mins
Wes sat down with John Boyega at Dragon Con and chatted about the possibility of returning to Finn, Attack the Block 2, mental health and fandom at conventions.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the dragon Con pregame show powered by Columbus
State University's Coca Cola Space Science Center, where you can
learn the science behind the fiction.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well, we're going to close out the dragon Con pregame
show for twenty twenty five with another game Day show.
And this was an interview that I did with John Boyega,
who is one of the stars of the latest Star
Wars trilogy, and we had a great conversation at dragon Con.
(00:35):
The audio a couple of times in this is a
little bumpy, and I think it's because he was wearing
a sweatshirt and the mic was clipped to it, and
there were a couple of times where he's kind of
moving around. So if you could tolerate that, I wish
it was slightly better quality, but it's there. But we
had a great conversation. I really enjoyed getting spent some
time with John, getting to know him a little bit,
(00:58):
and us having this opportunity to chat about dragon Con,
chat about movies, about mental health. You know, I've done
a number of interviews on the dragon Con pregame show
with actors and performers who have had issues with mental
health and been able to find their grounding, and it
(01:20):
was something that I really wanted to talk to him about.
He had a moment where, you know, his career started
in a certain direction and it sort of veered off
into a different direction for him, and he needed to
go back to a few things, being the son of
a pastor, and we talk about that among some other things.
But he was at dragon Con for the first time
(01:42):
and we had a great conversation and we started right
out of the gate talking about dragon Con, talk about
dragon Con and fandom. I love to talk to people.
I talked with David Eckstein, Ashley Exstein's husband, World Series MVP,
and we talked great length one year about sports fandom
and so how do you feel like it kind of
(02:06):
overlaps and what do you think is you know special
about it when you come to an event like this
and the way it's just sort of different teams, different things,
but you're kind of still doing the same thing, right
You're in a uniform sometimes.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I mean today, I mean my
own threads. But it's fun, it's fine. I think that
cons filter out the people who are your main fan base.
These are your core, These are people that go out
and are enthusiastic, consistently about the content and putting out
about sports or about whatever you're interested in. So come
(02:39):
into this space and then meeting people who has followed
your career for so long and they're like meticulous, they
have details about the stuff that you've done, they have opinions.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
I think it's quite beneficial to our artists.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
We never really get to meet our fans in a
way where we can still you know, have a little
bit of distance and interact. A lot of it is
just screens commercial come see our movie, go Home, and
whereas in this field is more like you're connecting with
fans without having to.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Do the social media thing all the way.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Because I think a lost art is actually seeing people
face to face and interacting and talking. I think that
gives fans a very unique experience.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
And people talk about fantoms when they say, oh, the
you know, the fantoms like in workers film as One,
when they say, oh, people are so negative, and I go,
have you ever paid attention to sports fans everything?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I'm sure, but I guess I guess with sports fans
is it's more understood. I mean, you're getting the results
weekly a week after week, you know, and there's loads
of people involved in that. But with movies it's more
I think it's more opinion based. With sports, who lost
too won? With movies, what's your creative opinion? And I
like that, I like I like that we still get
(03:47):
at the same type of enthusiasm as if it's a team,
as if a movie is a team.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Especially Star Wars. So I think I think it's I
think it's cool.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
So you had this sort of from the first moment
first trailer for Force Awakens, you set up helmets off.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
By the way you said, by the way, that made
it more colossy.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
But but that's what it's. It's that moment of like
and there's several of these moments sometimes in trailers, movie poster,
and it's like it kind of burns in your brain.
Everybody went, Okay, who is this guy, what's he doing?
What's the scenario? And he's kind of dressed like a
storm trooper? What we're seeing here. From that moment, your
career boom. And then it's busy, busy, busy as things
(04:29):
can be when you're working as an actor. And then
you had a moment where I think you said, I
need to kind of reset a little bit. Mental health
is important. A lot of people talk about mental health.
We know it's important, and you're also a preacher's kid.
On top of that, there's a challenge to that, right.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
My dad had to chuch the size of this room. Okay,
I ain't CD Jake's son, you know what I mean,
but that the mega chuches and the but doesn't.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Expect though, for you to kind of walk a certain
straight line as it. Now.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Have you read the Bible? I have?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I have, But in the States. Maybe it's different here
in the States because there's especially deep South.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
But I understand that that perspective. But for me, it's
I've never taken it that way. And I guess my
dad hasn't been the authoritated authoritative in that regard, like
you must do this because of a part of the church,
or you must do that. My dad will come and say,
when you're gonna get more movies like Bruce Willis, he
(05:37):
likes Bruce Willis said, where you're gonna jump out of
a helicopter, when you're gonna slide down a thing? And
he will find my dad will find religion in anything,
you know, like if it's the good guy and it's
the bad guy and the good guy's when he's.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Like you see you see God. That is transformance.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
But as far as grounding yourself kind of in that
midst of mental health, adding that as a foundation, and
then also just the way we're sort of defined by
what our careers are in so many.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Ways, I think that's where the issue can sometimes lie,
especially for actors, because between our personal life and our
career life, the lines can be blurred. Just because you're
not the person that is setting up your own curriculum.
You don't have a path to your job like a doctor,
like a nurse, like a teacher, where there is a structure.
With acting, you have to create that structure for yourself.
(06:25):
So in regards to mental health, I think the frustration
of the nose and making sure you're not going into
a dark hole after not getting a part is something
that you need to build in the beginning. To be
honest with you, to build up your foundation to even
get in front of the camera or to get an audition,
or to even be in a drama class. You kind
of have to get rid of the day to day
(06:46):
civilian ego of I got told no. Now I'm sad
about it because you never know why you.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Get to go that.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
No, you might just be too short, you might just
be the wrong class for it.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
There's so many things.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
So to use it against yourself or to damage your
self because of that, that's my that's my something of
them into you know, I like to I like to
keep myself fresh, to be able to fail better because
I want of acting. Especially one point one percent business,
it's all about failing. I knowing how to be consistent
during that. So it's corny, but no pain, no gain
of Unfortunately, when it.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Comes to that, sometimes corny is just how it is.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
That's just how it is. Yeah, there's a reason. There's
a reason, are there? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah, more Dragon Con pregame show right after this, back
to my interview with John Boyega at dragon Con, and
we next decided to talk a little bit about his
(07:45):
first role, Attack the Block and the possibility of returning
for Attack the Block too. Well. Opportunity to go back
and revisit your first role is there, right.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Yes, right there.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
I read an amazing draft by the row Corny and
she thought of amazing job at put in the story together.
And there's a lot to explore, but it's you know,
it's finally. It's about time for me too. I always
wanted to go back to the UK and film something.
Unfortunately our business is not as robust and doesn't have
as much range as over here in the States, and
that's what's kept me away. But at Tackle Block two
(08:17):
sounds like a good project to go home.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
It does, and I know you get asked about it
a lot. I know you probably guess about a lot
of conventions. But there's another project we'd all like to
see you come home to, and you probably.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Come home to it.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, yeah, And I mean it's there's things that are happening, yes,
And I know you're interested at least an involvement, right.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
I mean, like any role, it's just got to be
about the story. You know.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I wouldn't go back if the story was limited the
same way it was before. So if if there's a
hashed out story and maybe they've got some new execs there,
some new creatives that can extend that, maybe.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
We never know. But I haven't gotten a call though
that's not in my control.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
No, I understand that. But if we had one consistent writer.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
Through those three movies, imagine that.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Do you think it would have been?
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I don't think one consistent writer can survive those movies.
I saw those writers. I used to come into the
hotel lobby and see them on the laptop, still just drained.
So who knows. But if there is a continuous arc
and and something to make the character more relevant in
the story, then then then maybe I heard Oscar Isaac
last week said he would do it if it could
(09:27):
get him another apartment.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
You had a line of dialogue as you're going in
the sand. Yeah, that didn't make it in the final movie,
but it's an important.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
One, very important, and if.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
We do get more fans, we may get to explore that.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Yeah, for sure important. Is that very important?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
I mean JJ put that in on purpose, and I
think it's something that he was setting up with Force Awakened,
So I guess maybe it's an easter egg to JJ.
I was just like at the end of the movie,
everybody was just like, what was he gonna tell her?
Speaker 4 (09:59):
And I was just like, well, what else you got
to tell someone?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
In Star Wars there's not much secrets as either you
killed their dad, you are their dad, or you got
the force abilities.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I think some people.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Thought you might have been about to tell her someone
else though.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah, yeah, definitely there was something else. Oh yeah, he's
got force abilities.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
That was the But there was something else people maybe
hoping you might say to her, really, what was it?
You think there was a little interest in this whole ship.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Oh that I love her and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
I think some people wanted that.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Yeah, some people wanted that, but I didn't think that
was the right relationship. She kept on running after her
killer and kissing him and stuff. Yeah, so I think
there was I think there was a moment where Finn
and Poe was just kind of like, wait, wait, she
brought us over here, risked our lives.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
She goes off kissing. Yeah, we'll see how they saw that.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
And that was my chat at dragon Con with John Boyega.
This is a Game Day edition of the dragon Con
pregame show, and I really appreciated John taking some time
to talk with me. And this will now officially wrap
up our coverage of dragon Con twenty twenty five. Thanks
again to Columbus State University's Coca Cola Space Science Center
(11:04):
and all the folks at the dragon Con media relations
team who helped make this interview happen. And I really
hope John comes back again. I know he was a
big hit. I talked to several people who went up
and talked to him at his table, got to know
him a little bit, chat with him, photos and autographs
and things. He was a great addition to dragon Con
(11:26):
for twenty twenty five and I sure hope he comes
back again soon. And it was a great representation of
Star Wars in general, and that's not something that's been
the case at dragon Con over the years, so it
was nice to have a great representation this year, including John,
including some of the other guests for this year's dragon
Con pregame show. So again thanks to the media relations team,
(11:47):
thanks to John for some time, and again thank you
for listening, and I look forward to seeing you at
dragon Con twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
This is the dragon Con Pregame Show powered by Columbus
State University's Coca Cola Space Science Center, where you can
learn the science behind the fiction.
This is the dragon Con pregame show powered by Columbus
State University's Coca Cola Space Science Center, where you can
learn the science behind the fiction.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well, we're going to close out the dragon Con pregame
show for twenty twenty five with another game Day show.
And this was an interview that I did with John Boyega,
who is one of the stars of the latest Star
Wars trilogy, and we had a great conversation at dragon Con.
(00:35):
The audio a couple of times in this is a
little bumpy, and I think it's because he was wearing
a sweatshirt and the mic was clipped to it, and
there were a couple of times where he's kind of
moving around. So if you could tolerate that, I wish
it was slightly better quality, but it's there. But we
had a great conversation. I really enjoyed getting spent some
time with John, getting to know him a little bit,
(00:58):
and us having this opportunity to chat about dragon Con,
chat about movies, about mental health. You know, I've done
a number of interviews on the dragon Con pregame show
with actors and performers who have had issues with mental
health and been able to find their grounding, and it
(01:20):
was something that I really wanted to talk to him about.
He had a moment where, you know, his career started
in a certain direction and it sort of veered off
into a different direction for him, and he needed to
go back to a few things, being the son of
a pastor, and we talk about that among some other things.
But he was at dragon Con for the first time
(01:42):
and we had a great conversation and we started right
out of the gate talking about dragon Con, talk about
dragon Con and fandom. I love to talk to people.
I talked with David Eckstein, Ashley Exstein's husband, World Series MVP,
and we talked great length one year about sports fandom
and so how do you feel like it kind of
(02:06):
overlaps and what do you think is you know special
about it when you come to an event like this
and the way it's just sort of different teams, different things,
but you're kind of still doing the same thing, right
You're in a uniform sometimes.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I mean today, I mean my
own threads. But it's fun, it's fine. I think that
cons filter out the people who are your main fan base.
These are your core, These are people that go out
and are enthusiastic, consistently about the content and putting out
about sports or about whatever you're interested in. So come
(02:39):
into this space and then meeting people who has followed
your career for so long and they're like meticulous, they
have details about the stuff that you've done, they have opinions.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
I think it's quite beneficial to our artists.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
We never really get to meet our fans in a
way where we can still you know, have a little
bit of distance and interact. A lot of it is
just screens commercial come see our movie, go Home, and
whereas in this field is more like you're connecting with
fans without having to.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Do the social media thing all the way.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Because I think a lost art is actually seeing people
face to face and interacting and talking. I think that
gives fans a very unique experience.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
And people talk about fantoms when they say, oh, the
you know, the fantoms like in workers film as One,
when they say, oh, people are so negative, and I go,
have you ever paid attention to sports fans everything?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I'm sure, but I guess I guess with sports fans
is it's more understood. I mean, you're getting the results
weekly a week after week, you know, and there's loads
of people involved in that. But with movies it's more
I think it's more opinion based. With sports, who lost
too won? With movies, what's your creative opinion? And I
like that, I like I like that we still get
(03:47):
at the same type of enthusiasm as if it's a team,
as if a movie is a team.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Especially Star Wars. So I think I think it's I
think it's cool.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
So you had this sort of from the first moment
first trailer for Force Awakens, you set up helmets off.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
By the way you said, by the way, that made
it more colossy.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
But but that's what it's. It's that moment of like
and there's several of these moments sometimes in trailers, movie poster,
and it's like it kind of burns in your brain.
Everybody went, Okay, who is this guy, what's he doing?
What's the scenario? And he's kind of dressed like a
storm trooper? What we're seeing here. From that moment, your
career boom. And then it's busy, busy, busy as things
(04:29):
can be when you're working as an actor. And then
you had a moment where I think you said, I
need to kind of reset a little bit. Mental health
is important. A lot of people talk about mental health.
We know it's important, and you're also a preacher's kid.
On top of that, there's a challenge to that, right.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
My dad had to chuch the size of this room. Okay,
I ain't CD Jake's son, you know what I mean,
but that the mega chuches and the but doesn't.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Expect though, for you to kind of walk a certain
straight line as it. Now.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Have you read the Bible? I have?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I have, But in the States. Maybe it's different here
in the States because there's especially deep South.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
But I understand that that perspective. But for me, it's
I've never taken it that way. And I guess my
dad hasn't been the authoritated authoritative in that regard, like
you must do this because of a part of the church,
or you must do that. My dad will come and say,
when you're gonna get more movies like Bruce Willis, he
(05:37):
likes Bruce Willis said, where you're gonna jump out of
a helicopter, when you're gonna slide down a thing? And
he will find my dad will find religion in anything,
you know, like if it's the good guy and it's
the bad guy and the good guy's when he's.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Like you see you see God. That is transformance.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
But as far as grounding yourself kind of in that
midst of mental health, adding that as a foundation, and
then also just the way we're sort of defined by
what our careers are in so many.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Ways, I think that's where the issue can sometimes lie,
especially for actors, because between our personal life and our
career life, the lines can be blurred. Just because you're
not the person that is setting up your own curriculum.
You don't have a path to your job like a doctor,
like a nurse, like a teacher, where there is a structure.
With acting, you have to create that structure for yourself.
(06:25):
So in regards to mental health, I think the frustration
of the nose and making sure you're not going into
a dark hole after not getting a part is something
that you need to build in the beginning. To be
honest with you, to build up your foundation to even
get in front of the camera or to get an audition,
or to even be in a drama class. You kind
of have to get rid of the day to day
(06:46):
civilian ego of I got told no. Now I'm sad
about it because you never know why you.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Get to go that.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
No, you might just be too short, you might just
be the wrong class for it.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
There's so many things.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
So to use it against yourself or to damage your
self because of that, that's my that's my something of
them into you know, I like to I like to
keep myself fresh, to be able to fail better because
I want of acting. Especially one point one percent business,
it's all about failing. I knowing how to be consistent
during that. So it's corny, but no pain, no gain
of Unfortunately, when it.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Comes to that, sometimes corny is just how it is.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
That's just how it is. Yeah, there's a reason. There's
a reason, are there? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah, more Dragon Con pregame show right after this, back
to my interview with John Boyega at dragon Con, and
we next decided to talk a little bit about his
(07:45):
first role, Attack the Block and the possibility of returning
for Attack the Block too. Well. Opportunity to go back
and revisit your first role is there, right.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Yes, right there.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
I read an amazing draft by the row Corny and
she thought of amazing job at put in the story together.
And there's a lot to explore, but it's you know,
it's finally. It's about time for me too. I always
wanted to go back to the UK and film something.
Unfortunately our business is not as robust and doesn't have
as much range as over here in the States, and
that's what's kept me away. But at Tackle Block two
(08:17):
sounds like a good project to go home.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
It does, and I know you get asked about it
a lot. I know you probably guess about a lot
of conventions. But there's another project we'd all like to
see you come home to, and you probably.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Come home to it.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, yeah, And I mean it's there's things that are happening, yes,
And I know you're interested at least an involvement, right.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
I mean, like any role, it's just got to be
about the story. You know.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I wouldn't go back if the story was limited the
same way it was before. So if if there's a
hashed out story and maybe they've got some new execs there,
some new creatives that can extend that, maybe.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
We never know. But I haven't gotten a call though
that's not in my control.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
No, I understand that. But if we had one consistent writer.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
Through those three movies, imagine that.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Do you think it would have been?
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I don't think one consistent writer can survive those movies.
I saw those writers. I used to come into the
hotel lobby and see them on the laptop, still just drained.
So who knows. But if there is a continuous arc
and and something to make the character more relevant in
the story, then then then maybe I heard Oscar Isaac
last week said he would do it if it could
(09:27):
get him another apartment.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
You had a line of dialogue as you're going in
the sand. Yeah, that didn't make it in the final movie,
but it's an important.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
One, very important, and if.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
We do get more fans, we may get to explore that.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Yeah, for sure important. Is that very important?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
I mean JJ put that in on purpose, and I
think it's something that he was setting up with Force Awakened,
So I guess maybe it's an easter egg to JJ.
I was just like at the end of the movie,
everybody was just like, what was he gonna tell her?
Speaker 4 (09:59):
And I was just like, well, what else you got
to tell someone?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
In Star Wars there's not much secrets as either you
killed their dad, you are their dad, or you got
the force abilities.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I think some people.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Thought you might have been about to tell her someone
else though.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah, yeah, definitely there was something else. Oh yeah, he's
got force abilities.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
That was the But there was something else people maybe
hoping you might say to her, really, what was it?
You think there was a little interest in this whole ship.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Oh that I love her and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
I think some people wanted that.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Yeah, some people wanted that, but I didn't think that
was the right relationship. She kept on running after her
killer and kissing him and stuff. Yeah, so I think
there was I think there was a moment where Finn
and Poe was just kind of like, wait, wait, she
brought us over here, risked our lives.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
She goes off kissing. Yeah, we'll see how they saw that.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
And that was my chat at dragon Con with John Boyega.
This is a Game Day edition of the dragon Con
pregame show, and I really appreciated John taking some time
to talk with me. And this will now officially wrap
up our coverage of dragon Con twenty twenty five. Thanks
again to Columbus State University's Coca Cola Space Science Center
(11:04):
and all the folks at the dragon Con media relations
team who helped make this interview happen. And I really
hope John comes back again. I know he was a
big hit. I talked to several people who went up
and talked to him at his table, got to know
him a little bit, chat with him, photos and autographs
and things. He was a great addition to dragon Con
(11:26):
for twenty twenty five and I sure hope he comes
back again soon. And it was a great representation of
Star Wars in general, and that's not something that's been
the case at dragon Con over the years, so it
was nice to have a great representation this year, including John,
including some of the other guests for this year's dragon
Con pregame show. So again thanks to the media relations team,
(11:47):
thanks to John for some time, and again thank you
for listening, and I look forward to seeing you at
dragon Con twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
This is the dragon Con Pregame Show powered by Columbus
State University's Coca Cola Space Science Center, where you can
learn the science behind the fiction.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!