1. John Boyega Used Mark Hamill And Harrison Ford's Audition Tapes For Inspiration
The MVP on the panels was John Boyega, who also won the Internet with his reactions to the trailer when it first landed. He spoke honestly and passionately saying he doesn't "know if I am ready for this whole thing, but all I know is that I am in it" and fanboying happily about the opportunities he got:
"I get to wear a stormtrooper suit, a rebel jacket, I have a blaster, a lightsaber, I get to hang out with Han Solo, Chewie. I think JJ wrote this part with my personal dreams in mind."
Luckily for him he got the part then. Boyega also revealed that in his preparation to get cast, he consulted the past:
"I just needed some inspiration, and I went on YouTube and I found Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford's original Star Wars audition tapes, and that really helped me tap into that Star Wars energy."
And he's already got his career trajectory planned if he suffers from the dreaded Star Wars curse that famously ruined basically everyone's career except Harrison Ford's. After Ford offered his own career advice - ("It's bizarrely individual how you navigate the space between where you are now and where you'll be for the rest of your professional life. I hope you know it) - Boyega quipped:
"You'll let me sleep on your couch if stuff goes wrong, right?"
Hands up who thinks that will happen? No-one, right? Hilariously, Boyega also said that his favourite fan theory is that he's related to Mace Windu - which you can also pretty much read as a firm debunking - and that it had led to a great moment with another former cast member:
"I was at a party, and I hear someone yell "Yo, black Jedi!" - I turn around, and it's Samuel L. Jackson. "You my son!?" he said to me. That was amazing."
Did you enjoy these revelations from the press conference for The Force Awakens? Share your reactions below in the comments thread.