Laurence Fishburne Turned Down ‘Pulp Fiction’ Role: I Had A Problem W/ The Way Heroin Use Was Dealt With

August 23, 2020 by Char in Film with 0 Comments

Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne On Why He Turned Down ‘Pulp Fiction’ Role: I Had A Problem W/ The Way Heroin Use Was Dealt With

Actor Laurence Fishburne has opened up about why he turned down a role in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction film.

While Samuel J. Jackson ultimately played Jules Winnfield in the 1994 movie, Quentin Tarantino recently revealed that Laurence Fishburne was supposed to play the character.

Now, Laurence Fishburne is explaining why he walked away.

“‘Pulp Fiction’ wasn’t for me. Quentin wrote that part with me in mind, too, but it wasn’t for me. I just had a problem with the way the heroin use was dealt with. I just felt it was a little cavalier, and it was a little loose.”

The movie features a part where Mia Wallace, played by Uma Thurman, overdosed after mistaking heroin for cocaine. Vincent Vega, played by John Travolta, saves her life when he puts adrenaline into her heart. Laurence Fishburne continued,

“I felt like it made heroin use attractive. For me, it’s not just my character. It’s, ‘What is the whole thing saying?’ … I just was like, ‘No, I don’t get it as an actor.’ It wasn’t about my character in ‘Pulp Fiction.’ It was about the way in which the heroin thing was delivered. And the whole thing with the hypodermic and the adrenaline shot? No.”

Meanwhile, Laurence Fishburne will not reprise his role as Morpheus in The Matrix 4. He revealed in a recent interview,

“I have not been invited. Maybe that will make me write another play. I wish them well. I hope it’s great.”

He added,

“It is probably the role that I’ll be best remembered for, which is great; it’s not the only thing I’ll be remembered for, which is better. What I get with him is I’ve got Darth Vader in this hand, and I’ve got Obi-Wan in that hand. I’ve got Bruce Lee, I’ve got Muhammad Ali shuffled in there, and I’ve got Kung Fu.”

What do you think about Laurence Fishburne’s reason for not being in Pulp Fiction? Comment and let us know.