John Boyega. SCREENGRAB from Star Wars/YouTube
“Star Wars” actor John Boyega isn’t loving the online delirium stemming from HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
Speaking to GQ, Boyega, who is of Nigerian descent, aired his dislike of “Game of Thrones” due to lack of diversity among its cast members.
“There are no black people on Game of Thrones. You don’t see one black person in Lord of the Rings,” he said. “I ain’t paying money to always see one type of person on-screen.”
There are several supporting nonwhite characters appearing in the show, including Missandei (played by Nathalie Emmanuel), Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) and Nymeria Sand (Jessica Henwick). Furthermore, Boyega feels that the show needs improvement in giving nonwhite artists a chance to shine.
“Because you see different people from different backgrounds, different cultures, every day. Even if you’re a racist, you have to live with that. We can ruffle up some feathers,” Boyega, 25, told the news site.
READ: John Boyega goes from ‘Star Wars’ to London’s Old Vic stage
Although Boyega’s claims are accurate, “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin previously aired that HBO was doing its best to cast nonwhite actors in the show.
“Westeros around 300 AC (the show’s fictional year) is nowhere near as diverse as 21st century America, of course,” Martin wrote in a blog post in 2014. “But with that being said, I do have some ‘characters of color’ who will have somewhat larger roles in Winds of Winter. Admittedly, these are secondary and tertiary characters, though not without importance.” Gianna Francesca Catolico /ra