John Boyega on Being Racially Profiled by Airport Security: "I'm Still Not a Terrorist"

Airlines and airports need to do so much better.

John Boyega
(Image credit: Getty)

Before he landed his brilliant role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, John Boyega spent quite a bit of time flying in and out of Los Angeles—and he recently revealed that he was stopped by airport security during almost all his visits.

"I used to fly back and forth when I was hustling and auditioning for things in L.A.," he told the Evening Standard. "I'd get cheap flights and stay there for two weeks or whatever. And every time I was getting these random checks. Every. Single. Time."

The problem eventually stopped, but that doesn't mean it didn't have a lasting effect on Boyega: "I wish I remembered the airline because I called them out on it, too. Like, 'This stuff ain't right.' They said it was a problem stateside, they gave me a letter and it stopped. But before that it was consistent. I understand that [these things] are for our safety, but when you fly a lot and it happens three of four times there's an element of, 'Okay, I'm still not a terrorist.'"

To echo those sentiments, airport checks are understandable. Airport checks based on the color of someone's skin are not.

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Mehera Bonner
Entertainment Editor

Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm. She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.