BOSSIP's Top 20 Up-And-Comers To Watch In 2012

Class Of 2012: The 20 [Mostly] New [Mostly] Black Kids On The Block To Keep An Eye On This Year (Part 1)

- By Bossip Staff

John Boyega – Actor

This time last year, even John himself couldn’t have imagined that his life would have taken the turn it did. But he landed the starring role of Moses in the surprise indie British sci-fi hit “Attack The Block” last summer, and the calls from Hollywood started coming in. And the comparisons to Denzel. And then his next big role:

Spike Lee has taken notice of the young actor and cast him as the lead of his HBO dramatic series Da Brick.

Da Brick is about a young man from Newark, New Jersey (Brick City) who, upon being released from juvenile detention on his 18thbirthday, must traverse the harsh environment of his hometown and learn what it takes to be a man, with a little bit of boxing thrown in for good measure. Boyega will star as this young man, Donnie, and joining him will be NCIS’s Milauna Jemai as his mother, and The Wire’s Julito McCullum and Gossip Girl’s Kamahl Naiqui Palmeras his two best friends that he has an angel/devil on his shoulder relationship with. McCullum’s character is a bad influence who is going bad places, but Donnie doesn’t want to leave him behind, and Palmer’s character acts as the moral center of the trio.

Da Brick has a laundry list of people producing in some capacity, but perhaps the most interesting name involved in its development is that of former boxing world champion Mike Tyson. Apparently Donnie’s story is largely based off of Tyson’s real life childhood and largely reflects what his upbringing was like. – Source

Not too shaby…

Follow: @JohnBoyega

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