Apocalypse Now is widely considered one of the most influential war films in cinematic history for many good reasons, highlighting not only the physical horrors of the Vietnam War, but also its mental horrors.
Those who took part in this war were clearly young, as the minimum age for conscription was only 17, although many recruits were actually young. If Apocalypse Nowby Francis Ford Coppola, serves as a portrait of the US military during the Vietnam War, so Tyrone’s character “Mr. Clean’ Miller, played by Laurence Fishburne, represents these naïve youths who volunteer to fight in a war that most consider pointless. In a strange way, the story of the actor, who later became known as Morpheus in The Matrix, is not so different from these young people.
Recall that Mr. Clean was part of an expedition led by Willard (Martin Sheen) under Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando, who also improvised and eliminated much of his lines).
In a 2013 interview with the CBC talk show “George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight.” Laurence Fishburne explained that he auditioned for the role of Mr. Clean by being 16 years old, a year younger than the character’s age. However, this was a lie: he was only 14 years old.
“I told him I was 16 when I was interviewed. I was 14 years old, I think they knew, I didn’t deceive anyone“, he said.
He did not, in fact, deceive producer Fred Roos, who, according to Fishburne, knew him through a project he was involved with when he was younger. Needless to say, the casting team wasn’t sure he looked as “old” as he claimed, so they needed an extra pair of eyes. It was the opinion of this outsider that changed the whole life of the young actor.
“A young woman who worked in the office, a secretary, got up and walked by, and as she was walking, she finally spoke to Francis, looked at him and said: “Excuse me, do you think this child can be 18 years old?” And whoever that young lady was, she turned around and looked at me and said, “Yes.”“
According to third-party verification, without prejudice, it was: Laurence Fishburne got the role. Although she was 14 when filming began, she was 18 when the film finally hit theaters.
Listen to Laurence Fishburne’s story in the video below:
But in addition to launching her career, this little lie also saved her life… and not just any life…
When Fishburne saves Estevez
As Emilio Esteves (The Breakfast Club, Les Petits Champions) said last year, On the set of Jennifer Hudson’s show, Laurence Fishburne actually saved him from drowning when he was on set to visit his father, Martin Sheen.
“We only sat for a few days, it was in the Philippines. He offered me a small boat ride and I agreed. We got on this little boat together and started getting too close to the shore, so I offered to get out and push it off the shore. I jumped out of the boat, into some muddy sand and began to sink. I saw Fishburne looking at me, he just said, “Hold my hand!” And he got me out of there. We’ve been in touch ever since.“
Finally, here is the lie that changed two destinies.
Apocalypse Now can still be seen on VOD.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
