Laurence Fishburne is reflecting on his time inApocalypse Now, and he believes it helped to kickstart his career. Fishburne is a renowned actor who made his name withThe Matrix,The Color Purple,Boyz n the Hood, and more. His career truly exploded with his partnership withApocalypse Now’s director, Francis Ford Coppola, as the 1979 war movie helped to establish him in Hollywood. He is preparing to reunite with Coppola forthe upcomingMegalopolismovie.
Because his next work with Coppola is on its way to theaters, Fishburne spoke withVarietyabout the impact thatApocalypse Nowhad 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 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 ofApocalypse 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 the blockbuster movie when he was just a young teenager. He knew little about acting, as he had only ever starred in 1975’sCornbread, Earl and Me, where he played a young boy. InApocalypse Now, however,he pretended that he was older than 14 years oldso 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 forApocalypse Nowtook 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 awardsfor his work, including multiple Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, and he even earned a nomination for an Oscar for his performance inWhat’s Love Got to Do with It.
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He would go on to reunite with Coppola multiple timesand is soon to return for another appearance under the director. TheCoppola movieshe starred in includeRumble Fish,The Cotton Club, andGardens of Stone, and they will now join forces again inMegalopolis. 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 inApocalypse Now, where he learned the tricks of the trade.
Apocalypse Now
Cast
In Francis Ford Coppola’s classic Vietnam War film, loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, an army Captain is tasked with assassinating a rogue Colonel who has created a cult-like compound in the Cambodian jungle and is currently waging his own war outside the army’s purview. Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando star as Captain Willard and Colonel Kurtz respectively, with an ensemble cast that includes Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, and Dennis Hopper.
