Laurence Fishburne Cast as Perry White

According to Entertainment Weekly, Laurence Fishburne (THE MATRIX) has been cast to play Perry White , The Daily Planet’s Editor-in-Chief in Warner Brothers Pictures Superman re-boot MAN OF STEEL.

It’s unknown if the casting is script-motivated, or simply director Zack Snyder (WATCHMEN) picking an actor who would be good for the role, unblocked website regardless of race.

Created in 1940 for the SUPERMAN radio series as a replacement for the comic book’s Daily Star/Planet editor George Taylor, the character was created to suit character actor Julian Noa’s blustery talents. Noa played Perry White until the various radio series’ versions (the syndicated SUPERMAN and Mutal/ABC network ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN daily and weekly shows) ended in 1951.

On screen, Perry White was played in the 1948 and 1950 Columbia Studios website unblocked SUPERMAN serials by Pierre Watkins. John Hamilton played a memorable crusty but avuncular editor White in the 1950’s George Reeves-starring series THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN.

John Hamilton, George Reeves, Jack Larson, Noel Neil

Jackie Cooper took on the role of Perry White in the Warner Brothers SUPERMAN: The Movie and the the rest of the Christopher Reeve-starring films. Lane Smith gave the role a southern flavor in the 1990’s ABC TV series LOIS AND CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN.

Michael McKean showed up as a younger, realtively immature Perry White in several episodes of WB/CW Network’s SMALLVILLE, and Frank Langella (DRACULA) took on the role in Brian Singer’s SUPERMAN RETURNS.

Laurence Fishburne Reunites With Keanu Reeves for ‘John Wick 2’ Cameo

MediaPunch/REX Shutterstock

There’s been a “Matrix” reunion in “John Wick 2” — Laurence Fishburne has joined Keanu Reeves for a small role in the film.

Fishburne was photographed this week in Brooklyn by Gothamist on the set of the Lionsgate production. Fishburne’s reps confirmed that the actor was shooting a cameo.

Chad Stahelski, who co-directed the original with David Leitch, is helming the sequel. Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk is returning to produce.

Lionsgate began selling foreign markets for the sequel at Cannes. The original movie grossed $43 million domestically and $35 million internationally following its launch a year ago.

“John Wick” also starred Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, Dean Winters, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo and Willem Dafoe. Reeves played a retired hitman seeking vengeance for the killing of his puppy, a gift from his late wife.

Moynahan, Leguizamo and McShane are reprising their roles and Derek Kolstad returned to script. Common has joined the cast as the villain along with Peter Stormare. Lionsgate has not yet set a release date for “John Wick 2.”

Reeves and Fishburne starred in all three “Matrix” films as Neo and Morpheus. Stahelski and Leitch played stunt doubles for Reeves in the trilogy.

Fishburne will be seen as Perry White in “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

Fisburne is repped by Paradigm. Kolstad is repped by APA and Circle of Confusion.

Laurence Fishburne Tackles Bogart at ‘The Maltese Falcon’ Live Read

Araya Diaz/Courtesy of Film Independent

Fishburne's Live Read cast included Orlando Jones, Cree Summer, Spencer Garrett, Liza Lapira and his son, Langston Fishburne.

The 1941 noir film The Maltese Falcon got a modern update on Thursday night thanks to Film Independent's Live Read series created by filmmaker Jason Reitman. Starring Humphrey Bogart as a private detective in the search of the falcon statue, the pic was hailed as the first true noir film and one of Bogart’s top performances.

Although Reitman was not in attendance, he passed the directing mantle for the evening to actor, producer and director Laurence Fishburne, a returning favorite having done the all-black cast Live Read of Reservoir Dogs and Goodfellas.

Fishburne kicked off the night by revealing that he “was given two options: this film or Casablanca." While the audience inside LACMA’s Bing Theater mumbled in wonderment over the decision to drop the other 1942 classic, Fishburne added that “the cast was smaller for The Maltese Falcon, so that made more sense for now."

See More 'A Star is Born': Inside Hollywood's First Big Premiere With Marilyn, Sinatra and Bogart  

 

Once the stage was set, Fishburne reiterated some key Maltese Falcon trivia, including its three Academy Award nominations for best screenplay (by writer-director John Huston), best supporting actor and best picture. As the cast took to the stage, including Orlando Jones as Joel (originally played by Peter Lorre), the audience erupted in applause upon learning that the lead role of Samuel would be assumed by Fishburne himself.

Filling the equally large shoes of Mary Astor’s character Brigid, the flawed and alluring femme fatale that would lead Samuel down a dangerous path, was actress Cree Summer, who tickled the audience to laughter with every “Help me, Samuel!” thrown to Fishburne.

Another notable role originally played by Ward Bond, Detective Tom was left to the gifted hands of Spencer Garrett (Yes Man), whose calm sparring with Fishburne encouraged the audience to nod in support. Also on board was comedian and actress Liza Lapira (Super Fun Night) as Effie, and Langston Fishburne, Laurence’s first son, as Wilmer.

Fishburne's Live Read of The Maltese Falcon appeared to take flight: When it was over and just as the film's "The End" title card hit the wall behind them, the cast received a standing ovation.



From left: Elvis Mitchell, Peter Mackenzie, Cree Summer, Laurence Fishburne, Liza Lapira, Spencer Garrett, Langston Fishburne and Orlando Jones attend the Film Independent at LACMA Live Read at the Bing Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2016. (Photo courtesy of Film Independent and Wireimage by Araya Diaz.)



From left: Elvis Mitchell, Langston Fishburne, Liza Lapira, Laurence Fishburne, Cree Summer, Orlando Jones, Peter Mackenzie and Spencer Garrett perform onstage at the Film Independent at LACMA Live Read at the Bing Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2016. (Photo courtesy of Film Independent and Wireimage by Araya Diaz.)



Langston Fishburne (left) and Laurence Fishburne attend the Film Independent at LACMA Live Read at the Bing Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2016. (Photo courtesy of Film Independent and Wireimage by Araya Diaz.)

Jackson's rant highlights enduring issue of racial misinformation

Being chased or attacked. Being nude in public. Dying. Drowning. Falling. Flunking a test.

These calamities star in the classic nightmares that haunt our sleepy time under the sheets.

I bet Sam Rubin gladly would have traded any of those nocturnal nerve-rackers for his nightmarish day at the office last week.

Rubin — an entertainment reporter for KTLA-TV, you might recall from the viral video — is the poor soul who committed the cardinal sin of confusing actor Samuel L. Jackson with fellow African-American actor Laurence Fishburne.

Shooting the breeze in the opening moments of an interview to promote Jackson's new action flick, "RoboCop," Rubin asked one of the highest-grossing actors of all time about the reaction he'd received from "that Super Bowl commercial."

Except Jackson wasn't in a Super Bowl ad.

Fishburne was, reviving his Morpheus role from "The Matrix" trilogy in a Kia spot.

"What Super Bowl commercial?" Jackson asked.

"Oh" — Rubin responded after an awkward pause — "you know what, my mistake."

Perhaps — as Conan O'Brien tweeted — the poor schlub assumed the "L" in Samuel L. Jackson stood for "Laurence Fishburne." As several minutes of live, cringe-worthy TV unfolded, we learned one thing: The "L" certainly doesn't stand for leniency.

"You're as crazy as the people on Twitter. I'm not Laurence Fishburne," Jackson blasted.

He brushed off Rubin's repeated mea culpas, perhaps recalling the wisdom of Trip, his character in the movie "Juice" ("Just 'cause you pour syrup on something doesn't make it pancakes!").

So Jackson unloaded again: "We may be all black and famous, but we all don't look alike!"

And on it went.

Talk about a nightmare. One shared recently by the E! channel, which mixed up actresses Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, and George Stephanopoulos, who confused basketball icon Bill Russell with ...Morgan Freeman.

I don't know if Rubin's faux pas was a slip of the tongue, an innocent gaffe or whether he, as Jackson implied, is afflicted with what psychologists call "cross-race recognition deficit" — aka all-blacks-look-alike syndrome.

I do know Jackson couldn't have whacked the poor guy any harder had he wielded a Louisville Slugger — as he did playing bat-wielding Principal Joe Louis Clark in "Lean on Me."

And like Clark …

Beg pardon?

That wasn't Jackson? It was … Morgan Freeman?

Well, that clinches it. As a public service for Black History Month, and in the spirit of the Rubin-Jackson dust-up, let me clear up any potential misidentification of seven famous black firsts:

•In 1845, Macon Bolling Allen became the first black to ace the bar and practice law in the United States, not to be confused with Denzel Washington, who played personal-injury lawyer Joe Miller in "Philadelphia."

•In 1983, Guion Bluford soared as the first black astronaut to travel in space, not Jeff Burton, who in 1968 played the astronaut Dodge in "Planet of the Apes."

•In 1950, Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for her poetry collection "Annie Allen," not Janet Jackson, who played the poet Justice in the movie "Poetic Justice."

•In 1975, Lee Elder cracked the barrier as the first black golfer to play in the Masters Tournament, not Will Smith, who played caddy Bagger Vance in "The Legend of Bagger Vance."

•Louis E. Lomax caught on as the first black television journalist in 1958 after joining WNTA-TV in New York, not Terrence "T.C." Carson, who played a TV reporter in the film "Livin' Large!"

•In 1953, Willie Thrower became the first black quarterback in the National Football League, not James "Jimmy" Alexander Dix, played by Damon Wayans in the movie "The Last Boy Scout."

•Barack Obama is the first African-American to serve as president of the United States, not Jackson, who plays the commander in chief in the forthcoming flick "Big Game."

There you have it. Jackson, as the DJ in "Do the Right Thing," asks, plaintively, "Are we gonna live together? Together are we gonna live?"

Avoiding Rubin-esque nightmares with a little cultural awareness — and a little understanding from the aggrieved — can bring us closer to that.

Laurence Fishburne to Star in ‘Roots’ Remake for A&E Networks

AMANDA EDWARDS/WIREIMAGE

JULY 1, 2015 | 09:37AM PT

Laura Prudom

News Editor@lauinla

Laurence Fishburne has been cast as Alex Haley in A+E Networks’ “Roots” remake, Dirk Hoogstra, History channel’s exec VP & general manager, announced Wednesday.

Haley is the author of the novel “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” an American family origin story based around the life of Kunta Kinte. The “Roots” remake will be an original, contemporary production, incorporating material from Haley’s novel, as well as carefully researched new scholarship of the time. Haley died in 1992.

“Roots” will be simulcast on A&E, History and Lifetime in 2016.

The Emmy-winning actor currently appears on NBC’s drama “Hannibal” and ABC’s half-hour comedy “Black-ish,” on which he also serves as executive producer. On the bigscreen, Fishburne will next be seen in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

“Roots” is described as a historical portrait of American slavery recounting the journey of one family’s will to survive, endure and ultimately carry on their legacy despite enormous hardship and inhumanity. The narrative spans multiple generations, beginning with young Kunta Kinte, who is captured in his homeland in the Gambia and transported in brutal conditions to colonial America, where he’s sold into slavery. Throughout the series, the family continues to face adversity while bearing witness and contributing to notable events in U.S. history — including the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, slave uprisings and eventual emancipation.

The scripted event series is an A+E Studios production in association with Marc Toberoff and the Wolper Organization, the company that produced the original miniseries. Will Packer, Toberoff, Marc Wolper, Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal serve as executive producers. LeVar Burton and Korin Huggins are co-executive producers. Konner, Rosenthal, Alison McDonald, and Charles Murray are writing. Hoogstra, Arturo Interian and Michael Stiller serve as executives in charge of production for History. “Roots” is distributed internationally by A+E Networks under the A+E Studios International banner.

Laurence Fishburne cast as Perry White in 'Man of Steel' -- EXCLUSIVE

Man of Steel

Posted August 2 2011 — 9:40 PM EDT

Lois Lane and Clark Kent just got their boss: Laurence Fishburne will play Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White in Man of Steel, EW has learned exclusively. White has traditionally been a hard-charging, old fashioned newspaperman, who relies on his ace reporters, Clark and Lois, to get the big scoop. Jackie Cooper played White in the Christopher Reeve-era Superman films, and Frank Langella took on the role in director Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns in 2006.

The casting resolves the question of what Laurence would be up to following his departure this May from CBS’ long-running CSI after just over two seasons. (Ted Danson will take Fishburne’s place on the show this fall.)

The Superman reboot, produced by Christopher Nolan and directed by Zack Snyder, stars Henry Cavill as Clark (a.k.a. Superman), Amy Adams as Lois, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, and Diane Lane as Martha Kent. David Goyer (Batman Begins) is penning the script. Man of Steel is due to begin filming this fall, and is slated for release on June 14, 2013. (Reporting by Jeff Jensen)

'Man Of Steel’ Taps Laurence Fishburne As News Chief Perry White

Superman reboot continues casting even after being pushed back to June 2013.

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The Daily Planet has made its latest, greatest hire: Laurence Fishburne will reportedly play Perry White, the long-standing editor in chief of Metropolis’ go-to newspaper, in the Superman reboot“Man of Steel.”

 and other sources report that Fishburne has been cast as Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s hard-charging, occasionally comic-relief-bestowing boss. Warner Bros., however, is not yet making the official announcement, with a rep telling MTV News the studio cannot comment on the reports.

Fishburne is joining a long line of previous Perrys, from Jackie Cooper, who played the newsman in Christopher Reeve’s “Superman” films, to Frank Langella, who stepped into White’s shoes for 2006’s “Superman Returns,” to Michael McKean, who took on a short Perry arc on TV in “Smallville.”

Fishburne becomes the first African-American actor to portray White. He’s also, in one of those odd Hollywood confluences, one of a handful of crime-procedural vets to join “Man of Steel.” After recently departing “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” Fishburne will meet up in the Superman film with Christopher Meloni (the “Law & Order: SVU” vet who is playing a military general) and Harry Lennix (who is also playing a general and once appeared on “Law & Order: LA”). Lennix also starred with Fishburne in the final two “Matrix” films.

The Fishburne casting leaves one prominent Daily Planet post unassigned. Amy Adams is playing reporter Lois Lane, while Henry Cavill is gearing up to become Clark Kent himself. So who will step up to play photographer Jimmy Olsen? Stay tuned, because even though “Man of Steel” has been delayed until June 2013, Warner Bros. isn’t wasting any time putting together the remaining in-front-of-the-camera talent.