John Boyega praises Damilola Taylor for helping him to be ‘unrealistic with his dreams’ as he shares poignant poem school friend wrote before he was killed aged ten
John Boyega has paid tribute to his childhood friend Damilola Taylor, who was stabbed to death aged 10 in Peckham in 2000, crediting the boy's ambitious dreams with inspiring his own successful acting career. Speaking in a new BBC documentary, the Star Wars actor has reflected on how Damilola's legacy of refusing to be limited by his circumstances has shaped his own approach to ambition and overcoming adversity.
Boyega and Taylor were friends at Oliver Goldsmith Primary School after Damilola moved from Nigeria. Taylor was killed by two teenagers whilst returning home from the library, stabbed in the leg with a broken beer bottle. Boyega, who was eight at the time, shared a poem Damilola had written about his aspirations to travel and reshape the world, noting that they would recite it together at school. Now 34, Boyega has said that Damilola's willingness to pursue his dreams regardless of his environment—including the ever-present threat of street violence in Peckham—has taught him to "be unrealistic with your dreams."
- Actor John Boyega credits murdered friend Damilola Taylor with inspiring his acting success.
- Taylor, killed aged 10 in 2000, wrote a poem about his ambitious dreams.
- Boyega says growing up amid violence didn't limit his fearless pursuit of his ambitions.
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Damilola Taylor was a ten-year-old boy from Nigeria who was killed in Peckham in 2000. He died from stab wounds sustained during an attack by two teenagers whilst returning from the library.
John Boyega is a British actor best known for his role in Star Wars. He grew up in Peckham and attended Oliver Goldsmith Primary School, where he was childhood friends with Damilola Taylor. Boyega was eight years old when Taylor died.
Boyega has recently spoken publicly about the influence his childhood friend had on him and his approach to life and ambition. The two shared their dreams and aspirations during their time together at school. This friendship and Taylor's memory continue to shape how Boyega views his own career and his approach to overcoming obstacles.