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

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.”

“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.”