Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind The Making of “School Daze”
How Spike Found Larry
As a young director, Spike Lee was hungry and certainly went after what he wanted. Which was the case for securing Laurence Fishburne for the role of “Dap.” Fishburne told Washington Post correspondent, David Mills, that he was watching a street performance when someone tapped him on the shoulder. That person was Spike Lee. Lee said, “You’re Larry Fishburne…. You’re a good actor.” From there Spike introduced himself and told Fishburne about a project he was working on. The movie never came to fruition but he kept Laurence in mind when it came time for School Daze. Later, Spike offered Fisburne the role of “Radio Raheem” in Do The Right Thing. Fishburne declined saying, ” I’m from Brooklyn too. And I didn’t grow up in that kind of Brooklyn.”
