John Boyega says he’s met Americans who were "confused" that black people live in London.
The 27-year-old actor – who grew up in Peckham, South London – has revealed that whilst he was out promoting ‘Attack The Block’ in the States in 2011, he was shocked that people had no idea that people of colour resided in the British capital.
He said: "I’m black British and I’m from London.
"And that in itself is something that the world doesn’t know about yet.
"I met American people – civilians of a first-world country – who were confused that there were black people in London."
John – who came to prominence in 2015, when he starred as Finn in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ – says that the entertainment industry has the power to bring different cultures together.
He added to Radio Times magazine: "That’s why entertainment is so special, it’s a great chance to bring people together and open them up to things they haven’t seen before."
The ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ star recently shared how he loves to see more black actors and actresses "growing into their own" for their talent and not just skin colour.
He said: "When you see a lot of people growing into their own and it’s not just about their colour, it’s about their talent, that’s all you want. You want to see your world represented in a natural and cool way."
The ‘Detroit’ star founded his production company Upper Room Entertainment in 2015, with his long-term ambition to help tell more stories from Africa.
He said previously: "My goal was to create original stories and I wanted to be a part of the development of stories."
John is the son of British-Nigerian parents, and he said he planned to train up young Nigerian talent.
He said: "We will have Nigerian people, young people present on set, shadowing those professionals so that they’re constantly learning and knowing what skills they need to learn.
"And it’s not just acting, it’s cinematography, it’s all the basics of the crew that matter … those are the fundamental big plans."
John Boyega met Americans who didn’t know black people live in London
