Glover's Role Offers A Message

Lethal Weapon 4, the latest installment from the action-adventure series, has debuted nationwide. Although most fans may not see the ongoing tale of two rough-and-tumble detectives as a lesson in race relations, actor Danny Glover, one of the film's stars, told CBS 'This Morning' Co-Anchor Mark McEwen that the story carries a subtle message.

The first Lethal Weapon arrived in 1987 and became an international hit. The detective team of Roger Murtaugh (played by Glover) and Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) delighted audiences because of their unconventional methods of solving crimes. The film was also notable for the unusual pairing - for Hollywood - of a black leading man with a white leading man as co-stars.

"I like to think, because of my own political consciousness, that [audiences] like the idea of this white guy and this black guy together," Glover said.

"One of the things I liked about it, when I first did this 12 years ago, was the fact that audiences would see, and would picture in their imagination and their fantasy, that these two guys had something in common and had some sort of communion with each other."

Glover gained international celebrity following his role in the first Lethal Weapon. His portrayal of Murtaugh earned him an Image Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Although the onscreen relationship between the two lead characters was anything but smooth, Glover said Riggs and Murtaugh have mellowed over the years.

"They've grown old together," Glover said. "They have, at the same time, some of the same needs. They realize their mortality in a certain way. They realize that they have some other objectives in life, and they're both settled in a way."

Glover sees the change in his own life and said it parallels his off-screen relationship with Gibson.

"It's what, I imagine to some extent, what Mel and I are going through at this point in our lives as well, even though I'm a decade older than Mel," Glover said.

A San Francisco native, Glover's screen work includes Angels in the Outfield (1994), The Color Purple (1985), Escape From Alcatraz (1979) and Buffalo Soldiers. He also co-starred with Joe Pesci last year in the movie Gone Fishin'. Pesci plays Leo Getz in two Lethal Weapon movies, including the most recent installment.

Glover has also made several television appearances. His performance as Joshua Deets in 1989's Lonesome Dove, earned him an Emmy Award nomination, and he received a second NAACP Image Award for his work in HBO's presentation of Mandela in 1988.

In addition to his acting career, Glover plays a key role in the world of diplomatic relations. He was recently appointed the firs Development Program Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations.