Former TV star Stephan James is about to hit the big time playing Jesse Owens in a forthcoming biopic about the African-American track and field star, famously the most successful athlete at the 1936, Nazi run Olympics in Berlin.

James nabbed the role after British actor John Boyega dropped out to star in the new Star Wars film, which shoots in the UK through summer 2014. Before getting started on the project, the Canadian actor - best known for starring in TV drama series Degrassi in his homeland - is currently filming the Brad Pitt and Oprah Winfrey produced Selma, which centres around the civil rights marches that changed America.