NEW YORK, Jan. 20, 2005
Laurence Fishburne's 'Assault'
Star Talks About Latest Film And Career
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Play CBS Video Video Laurence Fishburne's 'Assault' Actor Laurence Fishburne joins The Early Show to talk about his new role as a crime boss in the film 'Assault on Precinct 13.'
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Fishburne in "Assault on Precinct 13" (Rogue Pictures)
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Fishburne in scene with Drea De Matteo (Rogue Pictures)
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From his portrayal of the abusive Ike Turner in "What's Love Got to Do with It" to the steadfast Morpheus in the smash sci-fi hit, "The Matrix," he has been a commanding talent.
In his latest film, "Assault on Precinct 13," he plays Marion Bishop, a jailed crime lord who must protect himself from a department of corrupt cops out to kill him.
"Assault on Precinct 13" is a remake of John Carpenter's 1976 cult classic about cops and criminals banding together inside a police station against a multicultural siege of gang members.
"It's credited with being the first urban western," Fishburn tells The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm. "But this is more of an update rather than a remake, really. We are not exactly true to everything that happens in the first movie. We've kind of expanded it and opened it up and brought more characters in and changed the nature of the bad guys."
The gang members are corrupt cops using their high-tech SWAT gear to bust in and take out Bishop (Fishburne) who had been their secret partner but now threatens to expose them.
The film also stars Ethan Hawke, Ja Rule, Maria Bello, Brian Dennehy and John Leguizamo. "Our cast is incredible," says Fishburne and notes working with Hawke was wonderful. "He's a consummate actor and passionate about it."
Working for this film was a refreshing change for the actor, contrasting it to "The Matrix."
"'The Matrix' trilogy took a long time to make," Fishburne says. "It will have a long life, but this kind of acting is the acting I grew up doing. It's like being in the theater. And also the nature of this film is an action film. It is a character-driven action movie, which is nice and different from what you usually see. It's nice because it just keeps things fresh for me."
Aside from his film work, Fishburne keeps busy as UNICEF's ambassador for the U.S. Fund. He has been working with the children in Sub-Saharan Africa who are orphaned by AIDS.
"If you contact the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, you can make a donation, contribution, what have you. We'd appreciate it. It will absolutely get to the right people on the ground and help to alleviate the situation in South Africa," Fishburne says and notes, "The people are doing everything they can to try and bring some relief to the situation. But they desperately need help. They need the same kind of help that the people who have suffered from the tsunami need. They need the kind of support and the financial support. They need all kinds of medical supplies."
Some Facts About Laurence Fishburne
- Laurence Fishburne was born in Augusta, Ga. on July 30, 1961, but he was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y.
- In 1971, Fishburne made his professional stage debut as a young baseball fan in Charles Fuller's "My Many Names and Faces" at NYC's New Federal Theatre (date approximate).
- From 1973 to 1976, Fishburne portrayed adoptee Joshua West Hall on the ABC soap opera "One Life to Live"
- In 1975, Fishburne made his film debut in "Cornbread, Earl and Me"
- In 1979, Fishburne had a part in Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now"
- Fishburne had roles in other Coppola movies such as 1983's "Rumble Fish," 1984's "The Cotton Club" and 1987's "Gardens of Stone"
- In the late '80s, Fishburne had the continuing role of Cowboy Curtis on "Pee Wee's Playhouse"
- In 1986, Fishburne played Swain in "The Color Purple," directed by Steven Spielberg.
- In 1988, Fishburne had the role of Afro-centrist Dap Dunlap in Spike Lee's "School Daze."
- In 1992, Fishburne won a Tony Award for his role on the Broadway production of "Two Trains Running."
- In 1993, Fishburne earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his unflattering portrait of '60s pop star Ike Turner in the Tina Turner biopic "What's Love Got to Do With It."
- Fishburne made screen history in 1995 as the first black actor to portray the Bard's Moor in a major studio film in Oliver Parker's "Othello."
- Also in 1995, Fishburne made his off-Broadway debut as a playwright and director with "Riff-Raff", a loosely structured drama about an African-American con man; actor received an Emmy nomination for his role in the HBO movie "The Tuskegee Airmen"
- In 1999, Fishburne enjoyed his biggest commercial success to date with the sci-fi movie "The Matrix."
- In 2003, Fishburne appeared in the movies "The Matrix Reloaded," "Matrix Revolutions" and "Mystic River."
Awards:
"Tribeca" (1992-93) - Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the episode titled "The Box;" pilot episode.
"Miss Evers' Boys" (1996/97) - Emmy for The President's Award; Emmy for Outstanding Made for Television Movie; CableACE Award for Movie; NAACP Image Award for Outstanding TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special; NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special. Shared awards - Fishburne was an executive producer.
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