Laurence Fishburne’s major movie debut was in Francis Ford Coppola’s war drama Apocalypse Now (1979). He was cast in a teenager role that would soon open more opportunities in Hollywood. The Oscar-winning movie had a star-studded cast including Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Harrison Ford, and Dennis Hopper.
One may say Fishburne’s casting in the project was a lucky hit, and he has got to thank one stranger woman who helped him land his first-ever movie role and build his entire career from there.
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Laurence Fishburne Lied About His Age To Join Francis Ford Coppola’s Movie
In his interview on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, actor Laurence Fishburne admitted he lied about his age when he auditioned for Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. The actor said:
“I told them I was 16 when I had my interview. I was 14. I think they knew. I don’t think I was fooling anybody, you know?”
Fishburne had a feeling that producer Fred Roos, who knew him from a previous project, knew what was up. The casting director was not convinced at all so they asked a random receptionist who walked by for an opinion. He continued:
“A young woman who was working in the offices, a secretary, got up and walked through, and as she was walking, Francis finally spoke up, and he just looked at her and said, ‘Excuse me, you think this kid could be 18?’ And whoever this young woman was, she turned around, looked at me, and went, ‘Yeah.’”
With that simple answer, Fishburne got the part. By the time the filming was done and the movie was released in theaters, he was already 18. Indeed, if it wasn’t for the random woman’s validation, his life and career would have been quite different today.
Laurence Fishburne On The Importance Of Apocalypse Now In His Career
Laurence Fishburne looked back on his journey filming for Apocalypse Now in an interview with Collider and revealed how it transformed him into an artist. He told the outlet:
“That movie was really the beginning of me thinking of myself as an artist. It was the beginning of my understanding of cinema, it was the beginning of my understanding of the world because I was suddenly taken out of Brooklyn, and I was in the Philippines in the middle of Asia.”
He further noted how his experience traveling to another country and meeting different kinds of people was essential to his growth as a professional actor. Fishburne also mentioned his other projects with Coppola:
“I was in a place where most of the people looked like me, so it opened up a whole world of possibilities. My work with Francis on Apocalypse Now and all the films I did afterwards with him (The Cotton Club, Rumble Fish, Gardens of Stone) really shaped me and formed me as an artist.”
Apocalypse Now took two years to finish and was considered a nightmare to film. From scouting for locations to post-production editing, the movie took a lot of effort to become a masterpiece. In the end, it brought home eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor.
