Laurence Fishburne is reflecting on his time in Apocalypse Now, and he believes it helped to kickstart his career. Fishburne is a renowned actor who made his name with The Matrix (1999), The Color Purple (1985), Boyz n the Hood (1991), and more. His career truly exploded with his partnership with Apocalypse Now‘s director Francis Ford Coppola, as the 1979 war movie helped to establish him in Hollywood. He is preparing to reunite with Coppola for the upcoming Megalopolis movie.
Because his next work with Coppola is on its way to theaters, Fishburne spoke with Variety about the impact that the movie had on his career. Having been an “impressionable” young actor when he joined the cast, he spent two years learning from the incredible cast and crew. He specifically cites Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, and Francis Ford Coppola as influential forces. Check out his full quote below:
I was 14 when I got the job on Apocalypse Now. It was crazy. The movie was released the week I turned 18. It’s very difficult to describe what that whole situation was like, because, as you know, I was a young person. I was 14, I was 15, I was very impressionable. I was still developing and it was an impactful event in my life. It took two years. But I will say, looking back, the most important part of Apocalypse Now was really my apprenticeship in the world of the arts. It is where I apprentice becoming an artist because I was working with great artists. I was in the company of Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Martin Sheen and Robert Duvall and Francis Ford Coppola. I was being influenced by those people and the choices that they made. And so really, Apocalypse is a great apprenticeship that I was fortunate enough to be given.
Apocalypse Now Helped To Define Laurence Fishburne’s Career
Fishburne Broke Into Acting With Apocalypse Now
Fishburne joined the cast of a blockbuster movie when he was just a young teenager. He knew little about acting, as he had only ever starred in 1975’s Cornbread, Earl and Me, where he played a young boy. In Apocalypse Now, however, he pretended that he was older than 14 years old so that he could take the role of Mr. Clean. Because he was still exceptionally young, he lacked the experience he needed, making him a disciple to the other stars. Filming for Apocalypse Now took multiple years, due to extreme weather, a severe injury, and recastings.
The long production gave Fishburne ample opportunities to learn from his colleagues. Even aside from the actors he named, he also worked alongside Harrison Ford, James Keane, and Albert Hall. All of them were or would become esteemed actors through the years. Having learned the finer tools of acting, Fishburne went on to enjoy an incredible career. He has won numerous awards for his work, including multiple Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, and he even earned a nomination for an Oscar for his performance in What’s Love Got to Do with It.
He would go on to reunite with Coppola multiple times and is soon to return for another appearance under the director. He performed in Coppola’s Rumble Fish (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), and Gardens of Stone (1987), and they will now join forces again in Megalopolis. It is a sign of Fishburne’s esteem for the legendary creator and Coppola’s reciprocal respect. Fishburne’s career never would have been quite so widely esteemed without his appearance in Apocalypse Now, where he learned the tricks of the trade.
Source: Variety
