Star Wars actor John Boyega has opened up about his childhood friendship with Damilola Taylor in a new BBC documentary, saying he hopes it will help viewers understand the lasting impact of the 10-year-old’s killing on Peckham.
Boyega, 34, who grew up in Peckham, features in Damilola: The Untold Story, which aired on BBC Two this week and is now available on BBC iPlayer. The programme revisits the death of Damilola Taylor, whose killing shocked the nation in November 2000.
Boyega, who found global fame playing Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has frequently spoken about his south London upbringing and the influence of his Peckham roots on his life and career.
The actor was one of the last people to see Damilola alive before he was fatally injured just metres from his home on the North Peckham Estate.
A killing that shocked the nation
Damilola was walking home from a library when he was attacked and left in a stairwell in Peckham on November 27, 2000. His death became one of London’s most high-profile murder cases.
The case dominated headlines for years, with the investigation and subsequent trials unfolding under intense public and media scrutiny. It became a touchstone in national discussions about youth violence, community safety and the protection of vulnerable young people in the capital.
Brothers Danny and Ricky Preddie were later convicted of manslaughter following a series of trials. Ricky and Danny Preddie were just 13 and 12 when they killed the 10-year-old.
“I think it was important for people to see what had happened”
Boyega said he wanted viewers to see “the effects of that situation” on the local area and the people who lived there.
He said: “I think it was important for people to see what had happened and the effects of that situation.”
The actor explained that while several documentaries about Damilola had been made before, all of which he had watched, this felt like the right moment to take part. He wanted the film to explore not only the case itself but the wider story of the people living in the area at the time.
The programme includes testimony from Boyega and other friends of Damilola, alongside members of his family, as they reflect on the tragedy and its impact on their lives.
Perspective and growth
Boyega said the experience of growing up around the tragedy had given him “a very big perspective on life”.
He added: “Despite that, there was growth, which motivated me to take part in something that was a positive thing.”
The actor described the film as a positive and informative project, and said he backed it because he believed it could have a lasting, constructive impact.
Nearly 26 years on
More than a quarter of a century has passed since Damilola’s death, yet his name has endured in the community and in the national consciousness. For many Londoners who grew up in the early 2000s, the case remains inseparable from wider debates about youth violence and the safety of children on the capital’s estates.
The new documentary arrives at a moment when those conversations continue, with youth violence still a pressing concern for the capital. Boyega’s involvement brings a personal, first-hand perspective to a story that has often been told at a distance.
Where to watch
Damilola: The Untold Story aired on BBC Two this week and is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer, where viewers can watch the full programme on demand. The documentary joins a growing slate of factual programming on the BBC revisiting defining moments in recent British history through the eyes of those who lived them.
