John Boyega is pleased to see more debate and discussion around racism

He said: "You didn't know what was going on, but it was like a little light against a batch of TNT. Because there were certain truths. So I knew what the process would be like for the audience and what people would say. But now it’s not the elephant in the room – which is brilliant. Now it’s not an alien conversation to have and so I feel like my role has been fulfilled in terms of the discussions I’ve had since. Loads of people got in touch and reached out, people who are just starting out their careers as actors and also some established people who stay quite silent about what they go through ... It’s complicated, because beyond what we post on Instagram and Twitter there’s a whole life of different discussions and experiences. And I guess because sometimes when you have financial stability, you feel too scared to speak up about anything that’s worrying you because people will just be like, 'You have money. Shut up.'"

And John really "appreciates" the "beneficial and positive conversations" he has had.

Speaking to GQ magazine, he added: "I’ve spoken to JJ [Abrams], I’ve spoken to Kathy Kennedy and it was a transparent, open conversation. Kathy keeps in touch and will drop me an email once in a while. It was great to share our different ideas and concerns and just speak about it honestly. And for me, man, it’s very hard to get people to that point. Sometimes you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. So it was a very beneficial and positive conversation and I really appreciate the fact that she reached out."