"Attack The Block" Star John Boyega Cast As Lead In Spike Lee's HBO Drama "Da Brick"

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• D-simmons | October 23, 2011 2:03 AMReply

  JOHN BOYEGA was the best for the job! In a interview with him he actually went into the audition American , he looks great for the part!!! Nothing else.....why the hell is there a debate about this!!! Just tell the young black American artists to step up in auditions simple

• Dankwa Brooks | September 2, 2011 9:52 AMReply

  I think this quote sums it up about Mr. Boyega landing this role. "Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity".-Oprah Winfrey

• Emmanuel | September 2, 2011 6:48 AMReply

  Why are we trying to pit black Americans against their British counterparts? That argument comes from an oppressed mind. Shame on whoever it is that tries to pull that BS. Besides, this isn't a first for Spike. Let's not forget that Delroy Lindo is British, and he's worked with Spike several times before.

• Jug | September 2, 2011 4:16 AMReply

  HAHAHAHA Carey! LOL But T'Challa is right, Black is black, have no illusion, that "foreign actors" crap in Hollywood does not apply to us (ask Ejiofor, James & Elba). If John Boyega were from St Louis, he still would've probably gotten the part because he had a hot film. And that is really all that matters.

• Mecca | September 1, 2011 12:46 PMReply

  Zeus, I co-sign completely the Brits are prepared and they are holding their own sh*t! Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for many American actors who are mostly rappers-turned-actors trying to demonstrate their best abilities on screen. I have to disagree with some of you who believe the Brits are better actors than the Americans. Many Brits don't have classical training under their belt. Moreover, acting for the camera is not the same as acting for the stage. I don't think John Boyega has any particular acting skills. I was watching an in depth interview about the cast of "Attack the Block" and the majority of the young stars had zero training prior to the film. So, not all Brits attend prestigious Shakespearean institutions were they master drama, Alexander technique, Stanislavsky etc. Hmm. Are Black American actors slowly becoming endangered? Ignore my typos!

• T'Challa | September 1, 2011 12:38 PMReply

  I'm not bad at the "Black Brit" invasion at all.. stop trippin', Black is Black...

• CareyCarey | September 1, 2011 12:22 PMReply

  “Real talk, they ARE kickin’ our butts as far as scoring. Everytime I turn around, somebody I love their work is actually British (Clarke Peters on THE WIRE comes to mind). But since I look at these agencies and see their client rosters and see how sooo many of them are filled with foreign actors who can pass for white American, I wonder “Are they reeeally that good? Or is it good business to import an unknown quantity, make them a star & then export them to the world?” Always about that International Dollar ya know… I love Simon Baker on THE MENTALIST, but that dude doesn’t even TRY to keep his accent anymore. Neither does Archie Punjabi on THE GOOD WIFE. If we (Americans) did that they’d say “Aww hell no. Those American actors are so poor at their craft”. I’ve SEEN British actors up close, on the stage and in person. Not everyone is banging. I’ve MET British actors who think we are better actors, in the sense of actually “being” not using technique. When I was there I saw shows on the West End & at the RSC & went “What the fuck was that mess?!” For real tho, I think my view is shaped by having seen these actors in their natural habitat and even seeing them do American works, cringing & having “my bubble burst”. I’ve also been absolutely spellbound by their work-same as Americans. I think we have a romantic notion that British acting is flat out better because of their diction or their facility with language (mainly having to master an American accent if you want to work in Hollywood). And everyone ain’t killing it (yeah I’m lookin’ at Orlando Bloom, Idris (go watch THE LOSERS and get a GOOD laugh), Michael Fassbender). I’m also talking about stage as well, not just film. Many amazing American actors are, sorry to say, a little “facially challenged” to be in front of the camera, so they’re on the boards :-O I mean, if this were a real argument about “who is best” we reeeally should include Australians, because many of the actors we reactively take as British are Australian/New Zealand. Cliff Curtis, Sam Worthington, Guy Pierce, Rose Byrne, I could go on. If you saturate the market with Australians & Brits-while being good-it is a fallacy of reason to say that Brits are “better” than Americans, when it is simply that there are more OF them in films. You could make the argument that they’re there BECAUSE they’re better, but that sort of 2+2=4 logic ain’t necessarily how Entertainment works, now is it? ~ Jug, August 2011

• Dankwa Brooks | September 1, 2011 11:34 AMReply

  I havwe just been very impressed with cats like Lennie James (Jericho), Chiwtell Ejifor, Jean Marie Baptiste and even the little girl from the Tyler Perry movie 'I Can Do Bad All By Myself' who I found out after the fact was British. Having seen 'Rise of the Apes' just yesterday, that black brit cat was good too. I like a lot of American black actors, but the intensity is not there for the most part of these young cats. Charles Dutton, Samuel L. Jackson and of course Denzel are old...er.

• CareyCarey | September 1, 2011 10:25 AMReply

  "OH SNAP! I have been quoted. Does that mean I’ve arrived" Well my man, I don't know if you have arrived... only you can answer that, but I frequently quote you b/c I believe you are one of the more a level headed commenters who visit this site, and you generally do not step in the deep end unless you have some supporting evidence to backup your words. And, you don't mind stepping on toes to make your point... with loooooong comments *LOL* Heck, you've busted me upside my head on several occasion, so I am talking from experience. Hey, in fact, that last qoute was from a similar debate - we had - on American actors vs, British actors, and my ass is still stinging. Thanks for the whoopin', I needed that. :-) Pass it down! And give Sergio some. It's never to late to teach an old dog new tricks. *smirk*

• Geneva Girl | September 1, 2011 9:44 AMReply

  I recently had a discussion with a black British friend about why black Brits are being cast so frequently as Americans. She defended the Brits by saying that they were classically-trained actors (Royal Shakespeare Company, etc.) and therefore are better actors than Americans. I have to agree that they are indeed better prepared than, say, your average rapper-turned-actor, but I can't buy that, overall, they're better than black American actors. I don't know if Boyega is classically-trained, but he does have a very positive buzz about him and that's what got him hired. That and he's a good actor.

• Dankwa Brooks | September 1, 2011 9:08 AMReply

  @James Madison, @Zues, @writer CO-SIGN ALL DAT!

• Laura | September 1, 2011 8:51 AMReply

  I honestly think John Boyega will become a huge star in the next 5 years.

• Jug | September 1, 2011 5:36 AMReply

  OH SNAP! I have been quoted. Does that mean I've arrived. Thanks Carey! And I stand by my statement. I think to say that the Brits are inherently better is like saying White people are inherently better to govern because there more of them in Congress. There are MANY mitigating factors as to how those people came to Congress, and those reasons are NOT always about aptitude. Long story short, by the time you see that actor, it may not be because they're "good" & but it may very well be because they're "British".

• writer | September 1, 2011 4:39 AMReply

  There are not that many young black American ACTORS in Hollywood right now. There are a bunch of rappers though, who keep getting cast.

• misha | September 1, 2011 4:34 AMReply

  A black British vs. black American actors debate? Really? *sighs* Anyhow, I'm looking forward to this. I googled Milauna Jemai (don't watch NCIS) and she is one hot momma! :D

• Zeus | September 1, 2011 3:51 AMReply

  They chose the best actor. The brits have their shit together on the acting tip. It's just a fact. Don't hate on them.

• Malikom | September 1, 2011 3:47 AMReply

  Plenty of young American actors to choose from and they choose another brit?

• James Madison | September 1, 2011 3:24 AMReply

  Funny that profile-wise, he remind me of Denzel Washington and is now working with Spike Lee. I enjoyed Attack the Block. John's horizon's are looking broad.

• ricky.Horne.Jr. | September 1, 2011 3:20 AMReply

  Boyega is dope. Period. Right timing, what is meant for him can be nobody else.

• Ladybug | September 1, 2011 3:16 AMReply

  There are plenty of talented and trained African American Actors in the states. They can't get seen . . . period. Hollywood is only interested in Raptors and apparently Brits.