At the 2016 BAFTAs John scooped the prize from Taron Egerton, Dakota Johnson, Brie Larson, and Bel Powley. The British actor started out acting on stage and TV, in series like Becoming Human and 24: Live Another Day. He started his film career in 2011's Attack the Block and went on to star in Half of a Yellow Sun.
It was his role of Finn in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens that catapulted John to international attention. Since his 2016 Rising Star win he's gone on to star in 2017's Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Detroit, and Pacific Rim Uprising, which his own production company co-produced.