Happy Sad Confused - John Boyega

Episode Date: August 3, 2017

John Boyega joins Josh this week just as his critically acclaimed film, "Detroit" hits theaters. He discusses the intense experience of working on a Kathryn Bigelow film, his path from "Attack the Block" to "Star Wars" and why he's okay with missing out on roles in "Kingsman" and "The Maze Runner".  Plus, John looks ahead to starring in "Pacific Rim: Uprising," what's in store for Finn and Poe in "The Last Jedi," and much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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or go to explorevolvo.com. Listen closely. That's not just paint rolling on a wall. It's artistry. A master painter, carefully applying Benjamin Moore-Regal-select eggshell with deftly executed strokes. The roller, lightly cradled in his hands,

applying just the right amount of paint. It's like hearing poetry in motion. Benjamin Moore, see the love. This week on Happy, Sad, Confused, John Boyega on Detroit, Star Wars, and Fighting Monsters in Pacific Rim Uprising. Hey, guys, I'm Josh Horowitz. Welcome to my podcast. Sammy's here with me as always. Hey, Sammy.

At least some things are the same. Some things are the same. So, okay, first, we have to apologize. We took a week off. Lots happened. lot has happened. We were at Comic-Con. Yeah. We both survived. Barely. We're not the same people. Are you the same person? No. I'm a shell of a man. And I was already a shell of a man going into Comic-Con. So now you're just like a thin layer, thin exoskeleton. I'm barely here,

guys. I'm hanging on by a thread. But we had a blast at Comic-Con. If you guys haven't checked out like the 30 or so interviews we did over three days there, I think almost every single one is up on MTV's YouTube page, right? should be um they should it's not theoretically yeah i think they all are um and uh they were a lot of fun and um yeah i don't even know what the highlights were the highlight was surviving what was the highlight would be with sam and cat right outlander guys they're amazing they were fun they were there's

we were like their first interview that day but sam had already gone to the gym as we confirmed i was very curious if you had gone to the gym that morning and they were just so lovely they're real people sammy was very nervous It was her first time being in a room with Sam. My hands were sweating, like legitimately. Sam, if you're listening, she played a cool. I think you would agree. She did a good job, but just know you should really be careful around her because she's obsessed.

When he left the room, I did have to, like, exhale. Like, I had been holding my breath for, like, the full 20 minutes, but. Oh, my God. So that was fun. Yeah, there's a lot of fun stuff in that. So check that stuff out. And meanwhile, so this week's episode, we should say, is John, Boyega, and we should say also

some kind of like housekeeping kind of general things about Happy Say I Confused. So yes, we took a week off partially because of a Comic-Con and partially because we are kind of in a little bit of a transitional period. The truth is that MTV, you know, as HappySaid Confused listeners who have listened for a couple years

now, three years now probably, we've been on the air, the podcast kind of began before coming to the MTV Podcast Network. We brought it over to MTV when they launched their podcast network. They've made some changes over here. They decided not to pursue podcasts full time here for a while. The good news is happy set confused will continue. There are discussions underway with some other folks that are

interested in hosting Happy Second Fused. The White House. Yes. Mr. Trump is very interesting. I'm the new communications director by the way. Big fan of the show. The mooch is out. Horowitz is in. No. So fear not. Happy set confused will continue. It just and frankly won't I think sound any different to you guys. It's just going to maybe have a new home very soon. And in the meantime, we're going to try to continue publishing as regularly as possible. It might not be once a week. It might take a little time to kind of get back on the regular, but again, fear not, we're okay. And the good news is we are back this week with a guest that I wanted to have on for a while, which is John Boyega.

Yeah, he's got a couple things happening for him. John's doing really well. Yeah. John, of course, hit it big a couple years ago with Star Wars. But before that, and we talk about this, for those that haven't seen Attack the Block, you really should. It came out in, I think, 2011, and was this, like, cool, crazy, kind of, like, alien invasion movie in the hood kind of a thing. Like, a weird kind of juxtaposition of, like,

you don't usually see aliens, like, hitting, like, urban environments, and, like, and the kind of characters you don't actually see in those kind of movies. And John, that was his big screen debut, and he really popped off, popped on the big screen there. It took him a few years to kind of find the next big thing, but what a thing it was in playing Finn in Star Wars, The Force Awakens.

And since then, he has not wasted any time in just grabbing opportunities where he can. He just finished to run on stage in the West End. He shot the new Pacific Rim movie, which he's also a producer on. Wow. Isn't that a person? I know. Crazy. And most importantly, for this podcast, he's starring in a new film,

a really powerful new film called Detroit, which is directed by the amazing Catherine Bigelow, of course, is your Dark 30 in the Hurt Locker. And for those they don't know, this is a, it's a super intense story. I feel like all the movies I've been seeing lately, by the way, have been intense. Between Dunkirk and Detroit, I saw Wind River last night, which is a great movie. You got to go see Girls Trip or something. I know. I deserve a girls trip.

You deserve a girls trip. But Detroit tells the story of what happened at the Algiers Hotel, nearly 50 years ago to this day during the riots in Detroit, where three African-American young men were murdered in cold blood by police officers, and it's a tragic story. It's hard to comprehend, and thanks to Catherine Bigelow's immersive, kind of verite approach to the material,

it really puts you in that situation, and it's especially a second act of the film, kind of this central 45 minutes or hour where kind of like all the shit goes down it's it's pretty harrowing to watch but it's it's an important film I had the opportunity to do a Q&A with the entire cast

you've been doing a lot you've been in this world a lot I know I need a break yeah no but it was actually it was one of the more I don't know if I'm gonna put this online I'll let you guys know on the next episode if they ended up doing it I did a screening at Screen Actors Guild where it was the whole cast and Catherine Bigelow and it was probably one of the more

emotional kind of Q&As have ever been a part of huge standing ovation and just like people on the verge of tears. It's that kind of movie. So it's not a light evening at the movies, but it's really an important one, and it obviously has relevance to the kind of incidents that keep popping up these days. So we talk at length about that, but also just sort of charting out his career at the, I think he's just like 25 years old, and he's got such a good head on his shoulders and a good spirit to him and it's it's been good to get to know john over the last couple years and thanks to star wars and these other opportunities i know we'll be talking a lot did you tell him that daisy's on the end of this podcast oh i didn't mention it this is why i need to be on every

shoot with you you forget all of the important things he would have loved that oh i think i mentioned daisy's done the podcast but i didn't mention that specifically oh cool daisy's done a podcast okay okay um let's get to the main event remember check out Detroit. It's in theaters right now. I believe it's going wider this Friday, so you have no excuse. Go check it out. And enjoy this conversation with John,

and keep sticking with us. Happy Say I Confused. We're going strong, guys. Yeah, don't give up on us. Don't give up on us. We're not giving up on you. And without any further ado, here's John. Do you like what I've done with this room? Yeah, it's subtle. Oh, you did this.

Yeah. It was all white and boring before I came in, and I brought this free you, John. I think we're off and running, right? We're good. Excellent. John, it's always good to see it, man. Good to see you. You've had a busy couple of years, and I want to get a sense, first of all, I mean, it's kind of an exciting time for you in that I feel like we're starting to see, obviously the Star Wars stuff we've been seeing, but we're starting to see what's come out of Star Wars and the choices you made in the wake of that insane opportunity. Oh, yeah. Namely, Detroit, which is what we're here to talk about primarily. But I'm just curious, out of that opportunity, out of the Star Wars, whirlwind, did you make kind of like a list of priorities, like, okay, this is what I want to do now with this opportunity that's at my feet? Or how do you approach things? I've always, I'm a selfish audience member. I like watching so many films from so many different genres and I just, I just wanted to be in projects that I like to watch. And I'm just trying to tick as many

off as possible and collaborate, obviously, with the best, and Star Wars gave me that opportunity. So when Detroit came along, I was just like, I'm not going to wait until this trilogy to be over before I start to go towards versatility, and I feel like I have this skill set to do so. So Detroit served itself as another opportunity, but with much more purpose for me. What kind of purpose? What are you talking about that? Because it's about an issue that obviously hits home to make. many of us all around the world. And at the same time, it's a chance to watch

Catherine Bigelow at work. And I just set up my own company, and I just, you know, have strings behind the scenes. And I'm getting my feet warm in terms of just exploring other creative choices I can make, and seeing her work and seeing that she has come to that stage in which she has that creative freedom. Obviously, I was inspired by on a day-to-day basis.

So Detroit was a great opportunity. She's someone that, I mean, for a very opportunity. I mean, for any film fan, they followed her from earlier in her career, whether it was films like Near Dark and Point Break, but certainly in the last couple films, she's hit this insane groove where she's, you know, dealing with the world that we're living in now and putting her lens on it and putting audience members,

creating such an immediacy of these, like, fraught moments. I mean, it's the sustained tension when I think of her locker and Zero Dark Authority, and especially Detroit, frankly. Like, the second act of this film is insane. It is. The audience member is there with you guys. I mean, is that something... I guess my question is sort of like

what is the kind of big glow environment? What were you hoping to get out of the experience? What did you, in fact, get out of the experience? What do you find if you've watched at least Zero Dark 30 or The Hurt Locker? She strips movies of that kind of... I don't know how to articulate it, but it's like a Hollywood rhythm, bad things happen, good things happen,

peace, calm, middle, beginning, middle, end, strips all of that and just goes reality. Yeah. And that's the issue. That's what makes it so, you know, sometimes you have to be emotionally engaged with a Catherine Bigelow movie at all times. You're kind of, it's like a, it's strange, you're drawn towards that. So if you as an audience member feel like you have to emotionally work

to just keep on top of the characters and the story then as an actor on set it's a whole different level of work ethic but at the same time is enjoyable because I come from the UK in which in drama school craft

is kind of like held as number one. You've got your craft set and you've got the opportunity you've got the chance to do something and she just creates an environment that just makes you a better actor. I think she could make a cat win an Oscar.

I feel, because I, that's the challenge for the next film. For Talking Cat movies, it's going to be amazing. Talking Cat movie, Cat and Bidlow directing. Not my idea. No, that was my horrible idea. I'm going to pitch of two or later. I need your backup. No, no, no, I'll voice one of the other characters.

We got something going on me. John and I were talking earlier. To be honest, he thinks it's a horrible idea, but I think he's going to come around. Re-edit of Detroit. No, John Boy. Yeah, no, the only thing that Detroit was missing. thing was a talking cat.

No, so, I mean, it's funny because I think, when I think of you and the experiences I've had talking to you, you have such like a, you know, a big personality. You obviously kind of like are enjoying this moment and you kind of making the most of it. And like this can't be, you know, and it's a job, right? You're not there to have fun, but it can't be necessarily a fun experience. I think of someone like Anthony Mackey too, who's also like similar.

I'm sure you guys got along like Gangbusters because he's like similarly like the biggest personality I've ever met. See Mackey, like a box of skills just running around the world, just sharing his happiness and jokes. He's a great laugh and a good spirit. But it is, do you have to stifle that, though, on this? No, but there's fun comes in different shades to me, but being, working on this kind of level and this kind of intensity, it's fun to me. Because after you've done a take and you see, you know, Catherine's eyes light up and you're like, and you're like, no, do you feel like you've got it? And she's like, yes.

And that to me is the joy of it. Yeah, it's the joy of it. And especially knowing that these cameras represent millions of people all around the world who will eventually see this movie. We're secretly filming it, you know, in Boston and in a building and no one's around. And, you know, one day everyone's going to see it. So it requires a commitment. And that commitment is, for me, it's enjoyable.

And her process just made this a great experience. Yeah. Yeah. One that I'll never forget. I'm sure that you also have to build like a camaraderie with that kind of cast when you're in kind of these intense situations. Yeah, especially after the scene.

We'll come up to each other. You know, I'd always get a pat on my back saying, you're okay, yeah, yeah, and Google, and it felt good. So talk to me a little bit about, you know, I was telling you before when you came in. I recall talking to you the first time was in 2011, I think, at San Diego and Comic-Con and Attack the Block was this amazing film,

if people haven't seen it, they need to see it. Joe Cornish, by the way, still hasn't directed another movie. what the hell's going on. I think he's got something in now. That's what Edgar had said when I spoke to him. Joe, they mess around, man. So talk to me, here's what I'm curious about. Coming off of that opportunity,

which I think was your first feature, right? Yeah. You know, and there's been a, you know, it was a gap between that and Star Wars. Yeah. Obviously. You were working, you were working actor, but like out of Attack the Block,

out of Comic-Con, were you like, I'm set, I'm good. Like, I, you know, I still didn't have stateside representation, which is very important in breaking this industry here is to have a team here that can lead you in terms of guiding roles and getting the opportunity. I did a pilot for HBO called DeBric with Spike Lee that didn't go to season.

So that was like... That's going to be a little... That was a bummer. So after that, I kind of left America alone. And I went back home and I started... I'd done a few things back in the UK. And then I came back out to the States many times. I was back and forth, just auditioning, meetings, trying to make, make something happen.

Did I hear correctly, you were, like, on the short list up for Kingsman? That one almost happened? Yeah, yeah. clearly hard because I stayed in L.A. with no money because I had overstayed my accommodation and then they kept on bringing me back. So I stayed on my friend's couch and I'd lost my accommodation elsewhere on the hope that obviously we were down to like the last two and, you know, the time the team was very keen that, you know, it would go through and it did it. So I was kind of like, ah, I've got to go back to London now of like, you know, true.

gun. And explain to my parents and what the hell you went to L.A. to do. Well, let's talk about your parents. I mean, growing up, because as far as I know, the business, as whatever we want to call it, it's not in your family. No, no, no.

At all. Anybody in your family have any aspirations to act, right, whatever? No one cares about that. They still don't? They're still not into it? No. That's probably good for your head.

I mean, it's fine. You're like, it'll be nice. It's a careful. A little bit. I mean, they care to the point of, like, you know, what you do it next? Okay, cool, great. They want you to have. Yeah, as long as I'm working, my dad enjoys watching projects.

My dad's a big fan. My dad's a big boyega fan. He even has T-shirts with my face on it. He wears in the house. What is it just in your face? Yes, if there's a thin t-shirt with me shooting a blaster, it's got a long strip of blue. My dad wears it sometimes. It's, uh, with these pajama bottoms.

It's an interesting sight. I'm sure. Most parents don't have that. No. But, my parents have the same t-shirt. He's really, he's really a big fan. But it's, for me, it's just, I don't know, it's a normality that they are.

Yeah. And I like that they don't necessarily care to an uncomfortable point. They're cool with it. So when did you start to make your attentions known or kind of fall in love with acting? Very engaged. I was in primary school and I,

and I did a performance in front of one of my teachers for like a school project. And I just felt at home. I mean, football wasn't for me. Sports wasn't for me. The only time I was glorious at sports is when I scored an own goal. You know, I scored for the enemy.

And I was just like, wait, no, no, no. I was on the other team anyway. I still get credit for it. Yeah, I was on the other team anyway. That was what I was doing. Horrible day. Everyone laughed. But when I was acting, I felt like

that this was me. And I was giving the opportunity to go to Theatre Peckham, to study. And from then, I was just exposed to all of it. What do you think you were enjoying at first? Was it just an escape, an aptitude, like, oh, I'm actually good at this, so I'm going to pursue this? The attention's nice. I mean, a little bit of everything. There's a little bit of everything. I'm an actor as long as people get to see me, to be honest with you. Like, I like to act, but I like to act with an audience.

Right. So the audience play an important part of what we do. And that, to me, It was the reactions, how engaging they were. It was inspirational. I felt like this is where I feel, this is my niche. I feel like the king when I'm doing this. And then when you stop, you're back to normal. Then you're back to thinking about the soccer game. Yeah, yeah, then you're just like, oh, you can't play it there.

You can't act during recess. Right. You can't do that. So, well, you could, but then I'm going to send you a special class probably. Yeah, I'd be that kid. What were you into, pop culture-wise? Do you grow up with American films, English films? Yeah, all of them.

All of them. We grew up with everything. I think that's what makes a lot of actors that come from overseas. There's an ability to morph into different people because we are just given an exposure to everywhere. And growing up, obviously, we were watching British TV, but we were on the kind of same things that everyone was on here in the States. You know, we were watching Sister, Sister, Kiena, Kiel, and Cousinski.

Those are the things we used to watch. You know, cartoons, like, recess and all that kind of stuff. All the Disney movies back in the day, we all got all of that. But then at the same time, we got our British shows. We got shows from France. We got shows from Australia, you know, like home and away and all the neighbors and crazy. Every Hemsworth was in your home. Yeah, Hemsworth was in my house.

I didn't know he was going to be Thor, but he was all the way up in the house. We could see that he lost his wife or something like that. He was going through some stuff at the time. You knew he was going to merge. he's nine feet tall and the most handsome man on the planet. Yeah, I was like, uh, he's, he's sure, sure he's gonna do something, but it, it just, we just had an exposure to so many things. What about movie-wise? What was the first kind of, first memories of movies or movie stars that kind of really resonate?

I was, I was born in 92. The first movie I went to see was a bug's life by Pixar. Sure. That's the first movie I went to cinema to see. See, I was more of like a, I'm much older than you. So I went with ants, which was the big competitor that year. Wow. And it had Woody Allen going for it.

Yeah. Yeah, what, that was the first movie you ever saw? It wasn't my, oh my God, I was like 20 something right then. Okay, yeah, yeah. But I'm saying that, I remember that year, Pixar had a rival. Ants came out the same year as BugsLat. It was a very bold move. Who won?

Well, Bugs Life. Pixar always wins. Don't bet against Disney, as you well know. I mean, I just said that just to hear, you know. It's a bit of mad, yeah. That's the first time I went to see it. And it was a strange experience for me. It wasn't, like, inspirational.

I was used to the theater. I was used to see in my audience. Yeah. The screen was different to me, so I'm warmed up to that later on. What about actors, were the first time that you kind of became obsessed with that? I didn't know what actors, I didn't know what they did. Like, I just didn't really understand what they were there for. I mean, I understood they were part of the situation, but as a kid, I didn't know that it was like a job.

They had agents and lawyers. I didn't know any of that. I just thought, yeah, these guys, this is a cool thing that they're doing, being involved in all this. But I had no clarity as to how it worked. So you were saying, so you went off to like an acting school then at some point? How old were you then? I was, when I went to identity, I joined at 16. 16.

Yeah. So by then were you like, this is my calling? I'm going to go all the way and I think this is going to. Well, before that I was in theater school. I was in theater peckham, but that was specific to theater. Got it. And I was there from the age of 10 up until I was 16. Got it.

And I went to a more kind of set institution. That institution, identity dramas. school was for me that's the real stuff that's that's that's that's that's when you go in you know that's like medical school that's when you go in like technical stuff right right right you know it's the it's the intricate part of of of learning how to be ready for the industry on like a on a serious note and and when did the audition process for like attack the block happen were you out of school by then or was that oh i'm still still there i was still there and i thought that was a great thing i didn't go to the same kind of normal mainstream drama schools that most go

to back in the UK. I went to a drama school that offered me opportunity. Because as an actor, I've heard this from other English actors where it's not even encouraged, you're, like, you're not supposed to take jobs while you're in school. They can leave that, number one. No. I was looking for a drama school that accepted that. So, like, when it hurts, you actually get some experience while I'm here. Yes. You've got to be on set. You've got to be doing as much as possible. This is not, you know, studying. You're not studying to be a doctor, which you should probably stay away or read those books.

But with acting, there's, you should. There's no substitute for the actual experience. Yeah, there's none whatsoever. And a set, they can't teach you how to be on set in drama school. They can't teach you that. You're dealing with so much different personalities and different ways of working. There's also a business element involved. There's so many dynamics to acting.

It has nothing to do of acting, like this. They don't teach you this in drama school? No, they don't teach you it in drama school but at this particular drama school I went to, it was clear to me that their intention was to have students who were also given the opportunity to work at the practical level

straight up as ready as you are as an actor, you could work professionally and I love that. That motivated me because we wouldn't book the biggest roles But, you know, I grew up around a bunch of actors who we all know today and see, you know, like Letitia Wright, who's in Black Panther, and Malachi Kirby, who's in Black Mirror. Yeah. I grew up around all those guys who were in the same class.

Amazing. We used to book that little gigs and little TV shows and be like, wow, like, this is cool, and we could bring that experience back to the classroom share with other students. It was perfect. So what did you, it sounds like you weren't a hell of a lot probably on the set or Attack the Block. Do you remember, like, kind of a rude awakening or certain things that kind of blew your memory? mind that you couldn't have experienced in drama school that is helpful to you to this day? For me, for me, was, was, was schedule and how to keep the intention of a character alive

despite the time of the night. Right, right, like go back to your trail for six hours, and then we need you like... Night shoes were waiting, yeah, yes, you'd be in your trailer for a good few hours, and obviously I was like 16, 17 at the time. So instead of being in our trailers, you know, trying to get some... shot eye or some rest or preparing for the next scene me and the rest of the boys were just looking through our phones comparing girls and it would always be me and friends just like no no she's pretty and no she ain't pretty in your time yeah yeah she

was all right and we just be we just compare compared girls just be looking at girls young boys sure and so that's what that's what we did yeah and it was it was fun but it was the element of okay this is professional like this is real and I was able to to to the best experience and that and that really helped me very fun did you I mean no one runs a publicity gaunt with like what when you're promoting a Star Wars film but but you got a taste of that on Attack the Block at least going to Comic-Con and doing stuff like that attack the block done so well I got to go to Hall H in Comic-Con that's not yeah I don't think there's an indie that's done that in a long time

that's a real big big deal like to go sure it was received well such a great film Yeah, it was crazy. So it's like, it was strange that I can say that Star Wars isn't the first thing that brought me to Comic Con. It was attack the block. And then there was screenings all over, all over L.A. And it was funny. At the time, I was in L.A. already, and I wasn't really involved in the publicity. I was staying at the Colesands Motel off of Hollywood Boulevard.

Where all the high rollers go? No, it was horrible. It was horrible. But I was staying there, you know, auditioning for stuff. And then suddenly Sony Screen Gems had bought Attack the Block and had chosen to distribute in the States. And then all of a sudden, I was in the Ritz Carlton. You get a magical upgrade.

Yeah, yeah. $100 a night on the room. I was like, wow. Upgrades. This thing called Per Diem. That's amazing. Yeah, it was per diem. I was like, wow.

The film really just went from quiet to, ah, people love it. And then we got, you know, distribution. in select cities. It was really cool. My dad gave me some suits to wear during interviews because I didn't own any suits, and it was dope, but it was a different time. Did you like the football city side? It seems like you enjoy this stuff, and you get something

out of it. It's part of the business, and also it gives you a chance as an actor to kind of clarify a few things and let people know that this is not, obviously this is fun to do, and looking from the outside of the end, it's a benefit, of course, but at the same time it takes some real work, and it's nice to give credit openly. Yeah, it's nice.

So we talked a little bit about sort of like the close calls in those intermittent years between Attack the Block and some of the work too and Star Wars. But were you confident, did you have enough self-confidence and belief in yourself and just sort of whatever you want to call it that you'd get to where you wanted to be? Were you worried that it wasn't going to, were you ever worried it wasn't going to work out? Yeah, of course. I mean, right now I just tell myself, sharp, and caught no choice. You've committed your life to this since what I'm going to do.

I'd rather die trying. But I mean, I had great experiences, even in terms of the opportunities that I didn't get. With Matthew Vaughn, I was able to work closely with him during the audition process. And then, you know, with the maze run, I think it was West Ball that directed in that. And I got a chance to work. And all of that, despite the fact that I didn't get the roles, served as a great opportunity. I can't lie, the role I did get, you know, just finished all of that. Yeah, you're like, in retrospect,

I read, yeah, I can't lie. Kingsman's a good movie? No, no, no, no, it's a good film. It's good film, and Tarant, Taryn is, he's great in that film. He's great in those movies, and they're amazing, and the Maze Runner films. You guys would be fun together. Actually, you guys remind me of each other just in terms of, like, I feel like you both can kind of do anything and have that similar kind of big personality.

Yeah, I think it's, it's fun, and every time I say, see him, it's all love. But for me, I'm glad that, you know, he got that opportunity in a sense. You know what I mean? You can't have them all, and that was, it's nice. You just, I missed you at D23, but I saw you there. That must be surreal, too,

to also, like, be there on behalf of Star Wars, and also, Letitia was there probably, Black Panther? Black Panther, so I think she came later. Okay, but it's got to be, I mean, you're in with a cool, pretty cool group, not just Star Wars, but Disney. Have you?

by the way, owns everything. Yeah, they literally, yeah. I'm saying that because I have to, because they own the rights to the Bible. They own 12% of me now, probably. Do they? I don't know. I don't know.

How they owes? Have you talked to them about any parts in their comic book films? There was talk of Black Panther. Was that just a rumor? Yeah, that was back in a day when I didn't have any of the role, so I didn't have Star Wars. And at the time, I was like, oh, they probably might want to do a black Panther movie down the line.

I'd love to do it. Yeah. But after you get something like Star Wars, it's like, you've got to have blood. I'm good with my franchise, I'm good. Yeah, a bit too. Spread the love, Jesus. But did you grow up with comic books?

Was comic books a big thing? Yep, especially graphic novels. I remember the first time I went to a store that I really loved was with Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright. They took me because they love comic books. They kind of schooled me a little bit. It took me to Forbidden Planet in London and showed me all the stuff, the action figures.

Until today, they have influenced me. I am still addicted. There's one here in New York. We've been to the Forbidden Planet here in New York. Yeah, London one's probably better, to be honest, I meant to both, yeah. Really? Yeah, I forget this is New York and there's this city of really great shopping. Yeah.

Yeah. Have you worked here? Have you ever spent... I did. I spent the while I was filming that pilot. I spent a long time here, but I was in the Brooklyn area, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because yeah, I mean, London's still home, yes?

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I feel like I was, you know, I'm not the first to say it, but London and New York certainly Yeah, cousins. You know, like, distant cousins, you know, but you guys obviously, you know, big cousins. big cousins. When I goes and fights, you know, fights the battles for us and stuff. But, but yeah, I've enjoyed my time, but I haven't had the time to shop. You need to shop and you need to do...

Yes, I need to shop. Just in New York, come on. Well, you need to do some theater. You just did some theater in the West Side. I would love to see Oscar Isaacs on stage as happened. It's a tough ticket. Get me in there, man. Come on. Let's go.

Four hours. You ready? Yeah. I might just, I might just audition to B's understudy. Just read off the paper. Try and see something. That guy's pretty talented. He's all right.

No, no, no. He's insanely talented and good looking. Very good looking guy. Was it important, because you just wrapped up a production in London. Was, again, coming full circle to what we were starting in the beginning, was it important to you to kind of like, because obviously you can make movies right now. You've got some cool opportunities. You don't need to go to the stage and do something like that and carve out a bunch of months.

Why was it important to do that, for instance, at the stage in your career, you think? Because I'm in this for longevity. as long as my body is able and I want to act like for real yeah um and I just I don't know like the experience that I've had so far there's a I don't know it seems to be um always a conversation about actors as people you know being as close to the characters that they play right I disagree with that that's not the there's no real art in that you want to travel to a to a character that's so different from yourself, and that's the brilliance of acting. That's what makes us engaged.

That's what kind of, like, we hail these actors as heroes because they're able to just, you know, change their accents, the way in which they walk and talk. It's like, you know, Johnny Depp's greatest roles. You know, there's like, you know, the stuff that Sidney Potterio was doing. It's just so different. Yeah, you're Gary Oldman, Daniel Day Lewis, that school, as opposed to, like...

It's a beautiful thing. I think anybody can have access to that. You know, I think a lot more actors, Should do. I don't think it's the fact they're not talented. I just think that there's just a system now Which is everyone just wants you know if you want to play an American you have to be American Be brave British you have to be British and it's like no It's acting well it's also interesting especially like at your age. I feel like that a lot of people don't give those kind of opportunities to somebody your age like they they don't necessarily

There isn't the desire for whatever reason to see you transform they just want to see you you you know be like the good looking leading man Yeah, but what's great is is that that's what's great about the opportunity that JJ gave me in Star Wars is that Finn is not necessarily your average looking, you know, your average leading man. It's a quirk and a tone to him even that just makes him, you know, a different kind of leading man. And that's what I'm about. I like exploring the different intricate things about humanity that may not be, you know, the main story or the main event. That's what I'm about. So I've been given the opportunity to do so. So you mentioned I can't believe we've spent this long without really diving into Star Wars a little bit.

So let's talk a little bit. So that opportunity, and I still think of Force Awakens is kind of like a miracle. That it turned out like as amazingly as it did. Like given just like the eyeballs that were on it. What was it, a billion dollars in 12 days? Something crazy. How many people it'd take to make a billion dollars in 12 days? Jesus Christ.

All you, just you, man. Trust me. No. But like, you know, and there were the stories, and I'm sure a lot of them were true that, like, you know, that was a fluid production. The script was changing. Characters were changing. There were some major changes in production,

and yet somehow JJ pulled it all together. I'm curious, like, when you started, was Finn a much different character? What was the biggest difference from, like, day one to, like, the completion, or whenever you signed on to the completion of the film? My first approach was playing Finn as quite stern and serious and, you know,

blatantly heroic, because at the time, they were all the stuff I was going up for. you know, was the stern I'm going to save the day type dude and JJ's the one that kind of filtered that down. He's kind of, no, no, no, he's not that. He's a stormtrooper. He hasn't been given the opportunity to relate to

people on a normal level. He's slightly over the top. Right. You know, he he has behavioral issues. You know what I mean? And that's something that I gauged during the audition process that the scenes work better, especially in terms of contrast

to Daisy, when when Finn is played in that way that JJ can't pay into that for me. Got it. So it felt more natural kind of establishing that connection, you know? Did the Finn Poe relationship evolve? I mean, Poe was supposed to, as we know by now,

was supposed to not even make it through the whole film. I don't know what that was about, but I knew from when we, I auditioned with Oscar, and at the time I had booked the part already as Finn and he was still trying to get to know, I just knew that they were going to have to extend it because he's just it doesn't make no sense.

He's just really good. And I'm happy because, you know, Finn is also the middleman as well. He gets a chance to have these several different relationships. Finn and Han, Finn and, Finn and, you know, Ray, Finn and Po, Finn and BB8, Finn and Chewy. There's all these different dynamics, and I thought that that friendship that we built, that kind of brotherhood that we built in the movies were just, it was really cool. And I know that fans want to see more of it. Exactly.

I mean, in different ways, some fans. they've got a good imagination they got vision vision not me I got in trouble when I spoke to you at a celebration for calling it a bromance people were like don't call it a bromance man it's just I don't know what they want me to call it

it's not a bromance what do you want to call it what should we call it I call it a bromance bro okay thank you I've got your post on it hold you back as you know well I was going to say I've spoken to Daisy about this too about the social media thing as you know she like left Instagram and I mean you know it's it's Well, she left Instagram when we were filming.

I left as well. Right. We both left. And I know she was like, yeah, I'm going to probably jump off it as well. It was a good time to just kind of detach from all of that. Yeah, I mean, and I'm sure you've experienced that we, anybody that's moderately in the public eye experiences a lot of crazy stuff out there. Of course, yeah, yeah.

What's the coping mechanism? Is there one to kind of keep your brain in check, your sanity from all the noise that's out there? Not really, man. I'm a London boy. You can take it, you're fine. I mean, people can say what they want, but the reason why they're talking about you is because you're in that position, not them.

Right. And that's the role that they choose to play in this circle of life. Like, you know, even if the people that type and write negative comments or send negative tweets, if they were famous, if they were in that position, they would get a fair amount of negativity too. It's just the way things work. For me, it's not necessarily,

deep you know so emotionally I am able to kind of maneuver those things and sometimes I have fun with it yeah do you poke back if someone oh yeah yeah yeah I clap back from time to time I have no shame when it comes to that

because don't be telling me celebrities there are some comments that you do see on your social media you have to give them a little you can't just be messing with me anyhow we were talking about the amazing friendships that you cultivated on that set, you and Harrison

had a fun time together. At least you did. I don't know if Harrison had a fun time. He had an amazing time. He had a straight face, but I knew in the spirit he felt great. How many times has he changed his number on you since the production ended? Oh, he hasn't, because my career has actually been doing well, so he has to keep my number now. He needs you now. He might need me. He might need me for

him. He might need me for some form of a spin-off. Would you fly with him at this point? No. I wouldn't. I wouldn't. That's why I don't say them emails regularly, because I don't want him to say hey, let's take a flight on the plane. Yeah, I was going to take a train on this one. I'm good.

I am not going to play with Harrison Ford, especially if he's in that pilot seat, and he knows. I've said that many, many times. He's pushing his luck. Come on, man. It's not going to happen. I think he's really cool, but he can be cool by himself in that play.

Exactly. Nah. No. Let's dance around a little bit of Last Jedi, which I know you can't talk about, but just of curiosity. Mark Hamill talked about how, like, that script kind of, like, surprised him

in many ways and where that character went. Did it surprise you? Here's my first question. Do you read the whole script at first or in kind of chunks? Like how do they deliver to the principal performers like you? Are you able to read it all at once? Well, I was kind of shocked that nothing had changed. I was still in the room of, you know, reading the full script, you know, at Pinewood Studios.

I didn't get to take it home. You're like, come on, now I'm like, come on, guys. Like seriously, when do we get into the club? Maybe nine. But this time it was the same process. We called into the studio. We read it in the room. I read the whole script,

knowing that you don't get a chance to take it home. So are you writing notes for yourself on the side? Or are you just kind of like, what do you do? I do. I had to, yeah, I think, yeah. But I think with eight specifically because of there's more dialogue, especially for Finn, I had to learn on the go in certain scenes. Really?

Yeah. Yeah, but next time I wouldn't take those notes. What's that noise in the room? Nothing? Nothing? It's fine. It's fine, Colin. Fine.

We've joked or not joked about Finn and Poe. How are Finn and Thasma doing? Because they have a history too. Yeah, it's not great. I can't believe she's back. I've read that script like, where the hell does she come from? Can't keep Gwendolyn down. Yeah, she's like Team Rocket from Pokemon.

There's just a blast off him. And they come back the next episode for some reason. But I think it's cool. I think there's some conversations between them to be had. Last time they saw each other, Finn wanted her, made sure that she was in a bin shoot. So I'm not sure how she feels about that. When do you get to see the movie?

And do you get a plus one? I don't know. I had no idea. I'm telling you, like, we are so in your shoes at this point. At this point, we're on an even process. I don't know that much more than me. And that's what's so different about working on other projects, whereas you are involved in this.

This is just like, which is cool, you get to be part of the audience. You get to be surprised by trainers. We're surprised at them as much as you. We don't get to see anything. Is there something you've communicated to Kathy Kennedy or Colin that you need to see Fendu before episode nine is over? I haven't communicated. Colin came to see my play, and we met briefly at the stage door,

and I was so, like, the play is intense. I didn't get at a time to sit down and chat. But for me, I would love to, I think, as all fans, We want to just know where everybody fits in now, you know, like we just want to know, okay, who's the Jedi, who's the, we know, raise the Jedi, who's the, the gunslinger. We just want, you know, specific. Right. You want the answers. Yeah, we just want all the answers.

Who are the parents, second names, everything. You know, we'll see, we'll see what they're planning to do, and they know what they're doing over there. What do you think as a fan should happen after episode nine? Like, it sounds like they're still figuring it out, like whether, like, they continue with saga films or if they just go on. After the nine, I mean, it depends what they do, but I think, yeah, continue the saga films, why not? Continuing, but obviously, a few years between nine and ten, but you should, if they were going to, that would be really cool. Speaking of big movies, I just spent time with your dad, Idris Elba. Yes, Idris.

You've got to do an Idris, come on. My address is Josh, Josh. I sound like Churchill, man. I sound like in the ages, bro. He's the man, as you know, he's so cool. He's the coolest man on the planet. And he, you're playing, I mean, your character is his son, yes, in Pacific Rim.

Uprising, is that what, do I have that right? Yeah, uprising, yeah. So not only are you in this, you're producing Pacific Rim. That's your first film as a producer. Yeah, first one, first one. I mean, I've done a few short films back in the day, but... That's a big jump, though. What I was going to say is, like, I mean, talk about ambition, like,

You know, that's a big leap as a producer. Give me a sense of just sort of why, how that came about and why that was something you wanted to kind of put all your muscle behind. Well, I used the money I earned on 7 to just set up a company and hire a few people to join me on this venture because I just realized that creative control is something that I want. I want the ability to be able to cost myself in the movie. that I want to be a part of.

And also, I feel like being an actor and a producer helps you understand, you know, there's two separate worlds there. And for some reason, there's a balance in which I felt that needed to be met. And someone like me who has that kind of duo personality, I just wanted to be behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera.

And we were just looking for it. We read many projects all the time, and we were just looking for something to, just kickstart that experience in a crazy way. And it just so happened that I was like, you know what, guys, I'm not close to another franchise. And so it's like, well, this is a great way to also combine your aspirations as producer. And legendary came about.

I have a great relationship with Kel Boyter and married parent. And we all kind of sat down and decided that we were going to do this. And my company was just like, yeah, let's do it. As you know, it's a tough act to follow someone like Yeramo's vision on the first one. And that's an epic. And one that we don't ignore, you know. Yeah. Well, I was going to say, can you tease a little bit

in terms of, like, time that's past? Tees, I read you the script. It's the area. I assume we're going to start to see some footage pretty soon. Yeah, yeah. I saw, like, a little viral video thing that you recorded recently. We're working on that, but we still have some special effects stuff to do.

So what's the world? What's the character? What's, what's... So I play Jake Pentecost, who's been, you know, a way during Pacific Room 1. He's kind of like the prodigal son, who never came back. And he's now given a chance and opportunity to join the PPDC

and earn his right to be there. But it's not all as it seems. We have, obviously, the breach was closed in Pacific Rim, but there are other ways of doing things. For these kaiju, they are very, very intelligent, and they're coming back hard. So what do we do? Upgrades.

Oh, yeah. Dramatic powers. Upgrades. some of which came from here. So don't worry, nerds. Everything you wanted, I made sure to inject into this. It's really cool. Some really cool stuff going down.

Have you been burning up on any new impressions as you about to embark on your Star Wars press for the next few months? You better get something ready, man. I haven't because, you know. They're going to ask for Yoda and Chewbacca. They're going to ask for all. I'm in more critical acclaimed projects.

Detroit time. No one's asking for it. No one's asking for it. No, no, no. But maybe. Maybe now one. I should. I should start.

I'm just planting that in your head. Yeah, that's right. When next we meet the Star Wars fans, a whole list of new characters has to happen. Yeah, got to go deep. All I'm saying is I did a video once with Benedict Cumberbatch. I think it was 11 impressions in a minute. I think you can beat it. He said 11 impressions.

I can beat that. All right. When next we meet. We're the next movie. Congratulations on the film. Thank you so much. I really appreciate us. You know, any opportunity to work with someone like Catherine.

It's a special one. I mean, she's top of my list. I'm sure, top of yours. Yes. And you really made the most of it, man. Thank you, sir. Good to see you, my. Thanks, buddy.

And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley, and I definitely wasn't pressured to do this by Josh. The Old West is an iconic period of American history and full of legendary figures whose names still resonate today. Like Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and Butch and Sundance, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Geronimo, Wyatt Earp, Batmasterson, and Bass Reeves, Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickok, the Texas Rangers, and many more. Hear all their stories on The Legends of the Old West podcast. We'll take you to Tombstone, Deadwood, and Dodge City.

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