With no time off between several back-to-back projects like Star Wars: Episode VII, Pacific Rim: Uprising, and a play named Woyzeck that Boyega starred in, he was left feeling “exhausted, frantic, and paranoid.” The jam-packed schedule was the result of Boyega’s ambition, which he calls his “battery power.” At 19, he made it a goal to hit seven figures in his bank account before he turned 25, and he felt like he had to say “yes” to everything as he built his career. He went on to explain, “You’re tired by your own dream, what you love…It’s tiring and it’s stress, and then dealing with the fact that you eventually have to perform.” The stress led him to take a hiatus from acting. The break allowed him to recharge, work on his physical, mental, and spiritual strength, and better prepare for the pressures of fame, but it wasn’t easy. He turned to Robert Downey Jr., another franchise expert, who has also struggled with his mental health in the past for support. Boyega said Downey Jr. told him, “You’re going to go through some turbulence. You’re going to try to find who you are within this. It might be rocky, but you’ll come out the end with a solid identity. That’s literally what happened to me.” Boyega also learned to lean on his family and friends, forming an inner circle of trusted people that allow him to be himself. “That’s your safe place as a celebrity,” he said. “So you can actually complain.” Even if it’s petty, his family is there to listen to things that the rest of the world would roll their eyes over due to his celebrity status. “Let me just chill and complain to the people that understand that I’m not trying to be evil. It’s just today, I’m sad," he said. Famous or not, everyone’s at risk of burnout if they push themselves too hard. Relying on others who have been there—and others you trust—can certainly help. Now, Boyega is back and better than ever. In the same interview, he also shot down rumors that he would be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “That’s not in the vision for me now,” he said of the MCU movies. “I want to do nuanced things…I want to donate my services to original indie films that come with new, fresh ideas, because I know it’s real hard to top ‘Iron Man’ in that universe.” More Movies:
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