Laurence Fishburne on ‘Slingshot’ and 45 Years of ‘Apocalypse Now’

Laurence Fishburne’s latest film “Slingshot” has an ending which he calls “a beautiful surprise.”

The film, in theaters now, sees him playing the lead of a three-man crew to one of Saturn’s moons. Fishburne plays Captain Franks. Along with fellow astronauts John (Casey Affleck) and Nash (Tomer Capone), the trio hope to find a new renewable source of energy in an effort to save a dying Earth. Along the way, they enter sleep pods and hibernate for three months, but since drugs are used to induce hibernations, John starts experiencing side effects, and Nash becomes unstable. Franks is the only one who appears to be fine, and keeps his one goal: to finish the mission.

The film’s third act throws an unpredictable twist into the storyline, and that was what intrigued Fishburne into accepting the part. Speaking with Variety over Zoom, he admits, “I didn’t know where it was going.”

He wasn’t worried about taking on yet another science-fiction movie and adding it to his credits that includes “The Matrix,” “Event Horizon” and “The Signal.” He has more in the works. Up next he has “Transformers: One” and “Megalopolis.” He loves the genre and proclaims, “I’m a product of my time.” Between “Star Trek” and “Star Wars,” he says seeing people that looked like him in space, in the future resonated deeply.

“Megalopolis” sees him reuniting with Francis Ford Coppola. The two worked together on “Apocalypse Now,” released to theaters 45 years ago. Here, Fishburne shares how working on the film as a young teen changed him, calling the experience his “apprenticeship” into the arts.

What was it that appealed to you about the script, and in particular, playing Captain Franks?

I started in the theater. I love little intimate, three-handers, two-handers — things like that. That’s the first thing. And then the opportunity to play opposite Casey Affleck. As I was reading it, I couldn’t tell how the story was going to end. I get jazzed about the way the movie ends. It doesn’t spoon-feed anything to you. It really requires that you participate in it.

Speaking of the theatrical background, this feels very much like a play with this space because it’s mainly one set. What was it like walking onto that set?

The environment was beautifully designed. It was quite small – you’d be surprised at how small the actual set was. But it was gorgeously designed. The set was great, and Mikael Håfström our director and his DP came up with clever ways of shooting that set to make it feel both much bigger than it was and much smaller than it was.

As John hibernates and the side effects start to take place, Captain Frank takes charge. How did you tap into this character?

This was really all about remembering that there’s no clear defining characteristic to this guy, other than he is the authority figure on board this ship. If you think of the three of them, it’s like he’s the dad and Nash and John are his two sons. One son goes along with Dad, and the other one can’t do what Dad says. There’s the good son, and then the rebellious one. And I liken the dynamics of the relationship between the three men on the ship as that.

You mentioned getting to work with Casey. What was it like playing opposite him?

I’ve been a fan of Casey’s work since “Good Will Hunting.” He has an understated kind of intensity and he’s got genuine intelligence. We admire each other a great deal, so it was just a lovely gift to be able to work with him, particularly on such an intimate story. A lot of what Casey is required to do in this film as an actor is really exposing the character’s interior life, and he’s masterful. So, it was a joy to work with him. It was a joy to work with Tomer as well because I’ve been a fan of “The Boys” and love his character Frenchie.

This year, you’ve got several films being released with this, “Megalopolis” and “Transformers: One.” How do you pick your roles and what makes you say “yes”?

There are a lot of different things, there’s no one thing. Obviously, with “Megalopolis,” it’s Mr. Coppola. I’ve worked for him since I was a kid. I would not have the career I have if it were not for him. I feel like we are family to each other. And I’ve been hearing about this movie since I was a teenager. So of course, I wanted to join him. For “Transformers,” a lot of people my age and younger love the “Transformers.”

Who didn’t?

I love the Transformers. And “Slingshot” is in the science fiction genre, which is one of my favorite genres. It always has been. Who doesn’t want to pretend to fly around in the spaceship? With “Clipped,” I guess it’s the only one that sort of seems outside of my wheelhouse because I haven’t done a lot of sports movies. But what I was drawn to with “Clipped,” was the story itself, the characters, the messiness of it, the humanity of it, and the juxtaposition of my character, Doc Rivers, to Ed O’Neill’s Donald Sterling. It has so many layers, the intersection of race, sports, sex, money and privilege.

You mentioned Coppola and “Apocalypse Now.” Weren’t you 14 when you made that?

I was 14 when I got the job on “Apocalypse Now.” It was crazy. The movie was released the week I turned 18.

Looking back, what was that experience like?

It’s very difficult to describe what that whole situation was like, because, as you know, I was a young person. I was 14, I was 15, I was very impressionable. I was still developing and it was an impactful event in my life. It took two years. But I will say, looking back, the most important part of “Apocalypse Now” was really my apprenticeship in the world of the arts. It is where I apprentice becoming an artist because I was working with great artists. I was in the company of Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Martin Sheen and Robert Duvall and Francis Ford Coppola. I was being influenced by those people and the choices that they made. And so really, “Apocalypse” is a great apprenticeship that I was fortunate enough to be given.

You’ve got “The Astronaut” coming up next. Where did the love for sci-fi begin? Did you want to be an astronaut? Did you want to go to space?

No. It’s very simple: I am a product of my time. I was born in 1961 so where do you think I fell in love with sci-fi? I fell in love with sci-fi on the television. There was a little show called “Star Trek,” and it was the first television show, in America, that had a diverse, and multiracial crew on it, so I could turn on “Star Trek” and see people that looked like me in space in the future.

The show had many guest actors, like the great William Marshall, who played Dr. Richard Daystrom. He was a brilliant scientist who built this amazing, sentient computer. There were so many people, and that’s where my initial love of science-fiction began. And then on the heels of that came “Star Wars.” And I loved the “Planet of the Apes.” I loved quirky movies like a little movie that David Bowie did called “The Man Who Fell To Earth,” which was one of my favorite movies. “Soylent Green” is a great one and so was “Omega Man.”

Going back to theater, earlier this year you did your one-man show. Are there plans to bring it back?

The plan is to bring my one-man show to the U.K. sometime next year.

What about returning to Broadway? Any plans there?

I’m somebody who loves the theater immensely, and I feel like I need to always return to it as often as my schedule permits. I did “American Buffalo” in 2022, and I’ve done my one-man show. And then, we’ll see.

Alright, describe “Slingshot” in a sentence.

“Slingshot” is an interesting science fiction, psychological thriller that really has a beautiful, beautiful tone and a really unexpected twist.

This interview has been edited and condensed.