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Laurence Fishburne turned down the role of Jules in 'Pulp Fiction' because he thought the movie glamorized heroin

Aug 21, 2020, 17:03 IST
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The role of Jules Winnfield eventually went to Samuel L. Jackson, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance.Bruce Glikas/WireImage/Miramax Films
  • In an interview with Vulture, Laurence Fishburne said that he turned down the role of Jules Winnfield in "Pulp Fiction" because he "had a problem with the way the heroin use was dealt with" in the movie.
  • Fishburne said that Quentin Tarantino's depiction was "a little cavalier," and "made heroin use attractive."
  • "The Matrix" actor said: It wasn't about my character in 'Pulp Fiction.' It was about the way in which the heroin thing was delivered. And the whole f---ing thing with the hypodermic and the adrenaline shot? No."
  • Fishburne did say that the part is "great" and that he thinks Samuel L. Jackson "walks away with the movie."
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Laurence Fishburne has said that he turned down "Pulp Fiction" because he thought Quentin Tarantino's 1994 movie glamorized heroin.

Tarantino originally wrote the role of Jules Winnfield, which eventually went to Samuel L. Jackson, for Fishburne. But Fishburne told Vulture in a new interview published August 19 that he "had a problem with the way the heroin use was dealt with" in the movie.

Fishburne eventually starred as Morpheus in "The Matrix" trilogy.Kia

"I just felt it was a little cavalier, and it was a little loose. I felt like it made heroin use attractive," Fishburne said.

"For me, it's not just my character. It's, 'What is the whole thing saying?' It wasn't about my character in 'Pulp Fiction.' It was about the way in which the heroin thing was delivered. And the whole f---ing thing with the hypodermic and the adrenaline shot? No."

However, Fishburne clarifies that he thinks the role was a "great part" and told Vulture that "Sam Jackson walks away with the movie."

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Jackson was so good in the movie that he ended up earning an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his performance as Jules, although he lost to Martin Landau, who won for "Ed Wood."

"Pulp Fiction" was nominated for a total of seven Oscars, including best picture, and won one — best original screenplay for Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary. But Fishburne believes that Jackson is the best thing about the movie.

"Sam f---ing sticks the movie in his pocket and walks away from it, walks into a f---ing leading-man career. What are you talking about? It's a great part."

Fishburne also had an issue with Marsellus Wallace's character

Ving Rhames played Marsellus Wallace in "Pulp Fiction."Miramax

"It wasn't about the part," Fishburne said, explaining that he also originally had problems with the film's treatment of another black character — Ving Rhames' Marsellus Wallace.

"It was about the totality of the thing, where I was like, 'Why is it that the biggest, blackest, baddest motherf---er in the whole thing gets f---ed in the ass by two country-ass motherfuckers?' Explain me that. But when you talk to Ving, he was like, 'You know what, Fish? You have no idea how many cats have told me, 'Thank you for doing that,' and appreciated the fact that I was able to do that because some cats, that happens to them, and they're still men."

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"Just because you get raped, doesn't make you any less a man. I wasn't evolved enough to actually realize that, or to even think about it in those terms, but Ving was. Everything's not for everybody," Fishburne said.

Read Fishburne's full interview with Vulture here.

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