Apocalypse Now is now considered a masterpiece and is one of the best and most well-known anti-war films ever. What many do not know: Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film launched Laurence Fishburne’s career – because he lied at the casting and looked a few years older than he actually was.
Laurence Fishburne lied to the master director, but he had long since seen through the lie
Laurence Fisburne plays the role of Apocalypse Now 17-year-old soldier Tyrone Miller. This is part of a crew of four on a patrol boat. It’s a supporting role, but important to the film’s story as her river trip is the common thread running through the plot. The four soldiers symbolize the army itself.
So when Francis Ford Coppola cast these roles, he knew how important she was. Auditioned for the role of Tyrone Miller was 14-year-old Laurence Fishburne, now known to everyone as Morpheus in The Matrix. In an interview with CBC, he confesses his lie, thanks to which he could start his career with a masterpiece:
I told them I’m 16when I had my audition. i was 14
According to Fishburne, the casting agents and Francis Ford Coppola himself were not misled:
I think they knew. I don’t think I fooled anyone.
The fact that Fishburne got the role speaks for his talent. Apparently Coppola was so impressed that he really wanted him in the film. The director asked a staff member in passing whether Laurence Fishburne looked older than 18, writes AlloCine . She answered yes. In doing so, she laid the foundation for Fishburne’s successful Hollywood career.
Warner Bros.
Laurence Fishburne in The Matrix
Fishburne starred in three other Coppola films between 1984 and 1991: Rumble Fish, Journey into the Dark Heart and The Stone Garden. His breakthrough is Boyz’n the Hood, released in 1991. But since he’s now remembered as Morpheus in The Matrix, many fans were excited to reunite with Keanu Reeves in the John Wick series.
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Podcast recommendation: The 10 biggest streaming films of 2023 on Netflix, Amazon & Co.
In this edition of our Moviepilot podcast, Stream Browsing, we take a look at the big movies coming exclusively to Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and Apple TV+ this year. The result is a list of ten special recommendations.
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From sci-fi epics to potential Oscar nominees, everything is included. The talents gathered are particularly impressive. In 2023 we can expect new movies from Martin Scorsese, David Fincher and Zack Snyder in the streaming space, while Gal Gadot, Leonardo DiCaprio, Henry Cavill and Chris Hemsworth will be in front of the camera.
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