John Boyega thought fame would make him "lose" himself.
The ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ star has admitted he found fame "stressful" when he was first thrust into the spotlight after starring as Finn in the sci-fi franchise, and thought the pressures of fame would force him to "do drugs and die".
Speaking to the Sunday Mirror’s Watts the Goss column, he said: "It was stressful to think ‘I’m going to be famous and then it’s all going to be over’. I thought I would lose myself, do drugs and die."
John, 27, has previously spoken about his struggles with fame, as he insisted he doesn’t see himself as a celebrity.
He shared: "The downside? You’ll sometimes get it while walking on the street. I don’t see myself as a celebrity. I walk on the street because I have always walked on the street. Sometimes somebody will ask for a selfie and it’s not the right time. I have no problem being polite. But you’re not always going to get the best response. Some people think: that’s your job. That is understandable. But you know."
But the star has begun coming to terms with his celebrity status, and recently said he wants to create his own franchise as big as ‘Star Wars’, after settling up his own production company.
He said: "I’ve just been trying to gather up stories that I know that would be significant of solid interest. But also support directors who are developing original stories. What is the next Star Wars? What is the next franchise?"
John is hoping he can work with Lena Waithe soon, after meeting her at the Met Gala.
He shared: "She stopped me at the Met Gala, and she was like, ‘Imma get you a role, ain’t no one hitting it with you just yet. I loved that talk. She came up to me at the Met Gala just like, ‘Yo, I think you something and I think that I can brainstorm something just for you.’"
John Boyega thought he’d ‘lose’ himself to fame
