John Boyega praises ‘inspirational’ female cast members of The Woman King

John Boyega found The Woman King’s female cast members “inspiring” after training five hours a day for the historical epic.

The film “tells the story of an all-female military unit who fought against the French and neighboring tribes who violated their honour, enslaved their people and threatened to destroy everything they have lived for” in the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1920s. 1800 , according to IMDb.

And John’s co-star Viola Davis, 57, who plays General Nanisca, said she thought the grueling exercise regimen could have caused a heart attack while training with Lashana Lynch, who plays Izogie, prompting John, 30, to speak about his admiration. to speak for the harsh word of the cast members.

Speaking on CBS Mornings on Thursday, he said, “It was inspiring because the transformation they went through is the transformation any man would go through in about six months. They did, they did the hard work.

“Then I’m on set and I see Lashana Lynch walking by and her back has a back. This is real.

“Especially as an actor, it inspires you and gives you the chance to say, ‘I’m going to support you as best I can.'”

Arrival of the star: John looked stylish in a beige and black patterned coat with a bright green lining, and a black outfit for a chat on Thursday’s CBC Mornings

During an appearance on The Tonight Show on Wednesday, Viola told Jimmy Fallon, “Let me tell you something. I was 56 when I trained to be this warrior… Five hours a day, an hour and a half of strength training, three and a half hours of martial arts, punching, 10.0 on the treadmill.

“And as I was running on the treadmill, Jimmy, I said, ‘I’m having a fucking heart attack.'”

John went on to say he hopes the film sparks conversations between people about the difficult topics covered on screen.

Telling the Story: The Woman King ‘tells the story of an all-female military unit who fought the French and neighboring tribes who violated their honor, enslaved their people and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for’

Pride: After John’s co-star Viola Davis, 57, who plays General Nanisca, said she thought the grueling exercise regimen could have caused a heart attack, John praised the cast

He said on CBS Mornings: “It’s such a nuanced story and I think when people see a title like The Woman King, they think of propaganda to some degree and they think sometimes it’s a story that’s not layered, while this is so complex.

“It’s complicated and I hope we take the time to have all those conversations. It’s about rape, it’s about trauma, it’s about sisterhood. There is dance in it, there is music.

“It kind of reflects the book of life and in that I hope we can have more detailed conversations.”

Speaking: John said, “It inspires you and it gives you the opportunity to say, ‘I’m going to support you in the best possible way.'”

When asked what the movie was that appealed to him, he added, “It was a number of things. First, if you get an email from Viola Davis and it says “VD” in it and she invites you to come on set because of your past work, that’s a huge honor knowing she’s attached.

And Gina (Prince-Bythewood), our director, I’ve always wanted to work with her since Love & Basketball, since The Old Guard, Beyond the Lights. She has some great projects so I was just excited to come.”

Meanwhile, when she appeared on the show earlier that same day, Viola said she felt it was important for her to take on the role because it appealed to her personally.

Fencing Star: John plays the role of King Ghezo in the film, which will be released in US theaters on September 16 and in the UK on October 4.

Chat: He made his comments during an interview on CBS Mornings on Thursday with the CBS Mornings hosts

Looking back: Meanwhile, when she appeared on the show earlier that same day, Viola Davis (pictured) said she felt it was important for her to take on the role as it resonated with her personally

She explained, “The idea of ​​being a warrior appealed to me. The idea of ​​embodying the spirit of a warrior. Someone who is a brave and noble person who does not leave his loved ones behind, and who has a heart that is humanized.

‘That appealed to me, because I don’t have that in my life. As a woman, I didn’t learn that. I’ve learned to be subdued, I’ve learned to have a high-pitched voice, I’ve learned that there really is a certain level of attractiveness that gives you value.

“But in general I want freedom of choice in my life. I want ownership as a black actress and it appealed to me to have dark-skinned actresses leading the story in this film, leading a worldwide box office. That’s the goal of my husband Julius Tennon’s production company and this film fits right in.”

Bold: She talked about her choice to take on the role: “The idea of ​​being a warrior appealed to me. The idea of ​​embodying the spirit of a warrior. Someone who is a brave and noble person’ (pictured at the Toronto International Film Festival this month)

The actress went on to talk about the racist abuse she experienced as a child and says it’s something people experience from birth.

“It’s spoken and unspoken,” she explained. “From the moment you come out of the womb.

‘It is in language, it is in behavior that you are ugly, you are more masculine, you are too strong, you can be in pain, your nose is too wide, your lips are too big. Constant, constant, constant.

Celebrate: Viola was pictured with director, Gina Prince-Bythewood and fellow actress in the film, Thuso Mbedu at the Toronto International Film Festival this month

“And when I was six years old, my strongest memory runs away from the boys who kept yelling at me, ‘You ugly, you black, you this.’ I was just running and as I got older my feet stopped moving but I still ran because I believed everything they said about me especially being catapulted into a world where I see images and hear messages confirming what they say .’

The talented actress revealed at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival last week that she believes The Woman King was her “magnum opus.”

According to Deadline she said during a speech at the event, “But it’s my magnum opus, because it’s everything I ever dreamed it could be.”

Her magnum opus: The star explained during her impassioned speech at the Toronto International Film Festival that the film was her ‘magnum opus’

A magnum opus is an important, creative work of art, or is sometimes referred to as an artist’s most important work.

Viola brought out how she has become an inspiration to her younger self. “But it’s for my six-year-old self lying on the floor in Central Falls, Rhode Island, the little girl who was traumatized, the little girl who was called ugly, the little girl who wasn’t seen, that was left invisible.”

‘I see your viola. I see every chocolate girl that’s like you. I’m telling you to stop running. This is my gift to you.’

The Woman King not only stars Viola and John, but also Hero Fiennes Tiffin from the After franchise, Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu and Sheila Atim.

The historical drama will hit theaters in the US on September 16 and in the UK on October 4.

Big day: Viola posed with her co-co-star John on the red carpet of the film’s premiere of The Woman King at the Toronto International Film Festival this month