John Boyega recalls Damilola Taylor's death in new BBC documentary

Hollywood star John Boyega has spoken about the profound psychological impact that the death of his schoolfriend Damilola Taylor had on him. The actor features in a new BBC Two documentary, 'Damilola: The Untold Story', which revisits the 2000 killing of the 10-year-old in Peckham.

Boyega, now 34, was eight years old when Damilola was stabbed to death. He recalls being one of the last people to see Damilola alive on the evening of November 27, 2000. Damilola was on his way home from the library when he was attacked and left to die in a stairwell on a south London estate. He later died at King's College Hospital.

Childhood friendship and lasting impact

The documentary explores Damilola's final months and the subsequent years of youth violence that affected the community. Boyega, along with other childhood friends of Damilola, shares their memories. Damilola's parents had asked Boyega and his sister, Grace, to look out for Damilola after their family moved to the area. Boyega and Damilola attended Oliver Goldsmith Primary School together, and Boyega described Damilola as having had a 'crush' on his sister.

Recalling the evening of Damilola's death, Boyega described the shock and fear he experienced. He stated, 'I didn’t know kids could die.' Following the stabbing, Boyega became more withdrawn, spending more time at home. He reflected on the shared background with Damilola, saying, 'Damilola was a Nigerian like me, lived down the street with my parents, same textured hair as me. It could have been any one of us.'

Boyega explained that Damilola's death made him acutely aware of life's fragility and spurred him to pursue his own ambitions. He spoke of the pervasive fear of youth violence in Peckham at the time, describing it as a constant worry. 'Everyone’s going to get stabbed. ‘I’m next.’ I was on a timer,' he recalled. This realisation led him to pursue a different path, receiving a scholarship to Theatre Peckham at the age of 10.

Convictions and documentary broadcast

It took six years and three trials for brothers Danny and Ricky Preddie to be convicted of manslaughter. They were 12 and 13 years old at the time of the stabbing. 'Damilola: The Untold Story' is scheduled to be broadcast on BBC Two on Monday, October 5, at 9pm. It is also available to watch on iPlayer.