John Boyega describes the day he ‘couldn’t stop crying’ playing a troubled Marine in ‘Breaking’

In 2017, Brian Easley walked into a Georgia bank and handed a teller a note stating that he had a bomb.

But this was no ordinary bank robbery. In fact, Easley wouldn’t accept any of the bank’s money. He was trying to call attention to his plight: a U.S. Marine veteran suffering from PTSD and schizophrenia, he was being denied his $892 in disability by Veterans Affairs; without that money, he’d be on the street and the stress had left spiraling down and feeling worthless.

Now Abi Damaris Corbin has co-written and directed “Breaking,” her first feature, which tells the story of that fateful day. The film features Nicole Beharie and Selenis Leyva as the bank employees Easley almost apologetically held hostage (after letting everyone else leave), Connie Britton as a TV reporter to whom Easley tells his story, and memorably, Michael K. Williams as the hostage negotiator in what, tragically, turned out to be his final film.

But it is John Boyega who carries the film as Easley, with a committed and heart-rending performance that shows off his range, from small, sweet scenes to moments of volcanic rage. 

Boyega rose to fame as Finn, the stormtrooper turned rebel in the most recent “Star Wars” trilogy, but spoke out afterward about feeling used by Disney, saying they marketed the films as having a Black star even as his character was increasingly pushed to the margins. Boyega, who spoke recently by video about “Breaking,” also earned headlines for his impassioned speech at a George Floyd-related protest in London in 2020.

On-screen, he has utilized his “Star Wars” fame to take on roles in weightier films, from Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit” to Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe: Red White and Blue” and now “Breaking.” (Later this fall, he will play King Ghezo in support of Viola Davis in Gina Prince-Bythwood’s “The Woman King.”)

Q. Why was it vital to tell Brian Easley’s story?

It’s important to explore a perspective that’s going to be fresh for a lot of people. There are people with family members who have served and know about these circumstances but a lot of us don’t, myself included. It’s a great opportunity to see what actually to people in this scenario who try to come back and get integrated back into society and how tough and complicated that is. 

Q. When you play a character like this, do you feel helpless, or angry at a system that treats people as disposable or do you focus more on what he felt?

It’s a mixture of emotions. You have a reaction yourself but that is soon diluted by a sense of responsibility. You are doing that research in the first place, to understand how to play this character who is so frustrated by these issues.

When I’m preparing for a role, it’s to portray a character and his truth. I learned what the government promises people for joining the army — it’s a fishing strategy [Boyega mimes reeling in youthful recruits] — and how that changes when they kick them out on the other side without giving them the support they need. I use that to show what Brian went through. 

Q. In the bank, he has at least taken control of his life, however misguidedly. Were the flashbacks to the Veterans Affairs scenes where the bureaucracy strips him of his dignity and agency more painful to play?

As an actor, you’re taught to think about the way people react, down to their facial expressions, and I study people. There are times, like in the “Star Wars” movie when Han Solo asks Finn about putting Captain Phasma in a garbage compacter, where the director, J.J. Abrams, wanted me to act one specific way every take. But sometimes I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do and as Brian I was mostly just experiencing everything in the moment. 

When I was playing Brian sitting outside of the VA office on the steps, I couldn’t stop crying. In between takes, I could see the extras and crew looking at me with some sadness, which took me to a deeper emotional place about what this man was going through — I’m there being decently paid as an actor and he was on these steps with all that fear about his future.

Q. Looking at “Detroit,” “Small Axe” and now “Breaking,” did you consciously seek meaningful stories about the Black experience in America and England? 

It’s very important when I’m making those decisions about next steps. At one point, I had to take a step back for a bit and think about what I wanted to do next, what I’d like to see for myself and my potential. 

I also thought about these three as another trilogy but one that comes from me.

Q. In all three, you’re playing a Black man who has had agency or authority — as an armed security guard, in the police, or in the military — only to have it undermined. 

But that wasn’t the throughline for me. The throughline was actually that they are different from each other, three roles where I can see the differences. It was more of a lean into versatility than anything else. 

Q. You worked with Michael K. Williams, yet you only interacted with him, as well as Connie Britton, through phone calls. What was that like?

Abi had us there to read the off lines in the phone conversation so you still have a presence and as you’re reacting you’re catching that energy from the other actor.

I was a big fan of Michael’s since “The Wire.” That cast very much inspired me – it was the first show that really pulled together great actors from the diaspora in one show. And Michael was always one of the highlights.

I had requested that they try to get Michael to come and collaborate with us for this film, so to have him accept my begging was great. And it was a role we hadn’t seen him in before. So this was a special journey for me. 

Q. “Breaking” is both the greatest challenge and greatest opportunity. You’re on screen for much of the movie and unlike a stoic role like “Detroit,” you get to range from pensive to explosive. 

It’s what makes an actor go wide-eyed, a role that’s full of nuance and character. There were different sides to Brian to explore. It wasn’t just about masculine energy and aggression – there was vulnerability, there was his soft-spoken side.  

With Abi, I discussed the smaller, more peaceful Brian and the bigger, angrier Brian to pinpoint when each would come out. Some day you might see extras for this movie and you’ll see scenes of the bigger moments that I tried with the smaller version of Brian. 

Q. Do you let go of your characters at end of day or shoot or do you keep them within you even a little bit?

It’s gone when the day ends. It has to be. I’ve got family and friends and my life. 

Everybody’s different but I think having that balance enhances my acting. To have a healthy start to the character and feel comfortable when I come back to set the next day I have to let him go. Then I can be more creative and not get stuck in my ways from the day before when I come on set. I want to have a fluid relation with my character. A character like this could keep you isolated in a way that for me just doesn’t work.