US newscaster apologises for black actor mix-up
Los Angeles newscaster confuses Samuel L Jackson with Laurence Fishburne during a live TV interview
A Los Angeles newscaster apologised to Samuel L Jackson on Monday for confusing him with fellow actor Laurence Fishburne during a live TV interview.
KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin was interviewing Jackson on Monday morning about the film RoboCop when he asked the actor if he’d got a big reaction to his recent Super Bowl commercial.
When Jackson asked, “What Super Bowl commercial?” Rubin realised his mistake and began to apologise. But it was too late.
I’m not Laurence Fishburne. We don’t all look alike. We may be all black and famous but we don’t all look alike
“You’re as crazy as the people on Twitter,” an animated Jackson, who was doing the interview by satellite from Atlanta, told Rubin. “I’m not Laurence Fishburne. We don’t all look alike. We may be all black and famous but we don’t all look alike.”
As Rubin, who is white, tried to apologise, a smiling Jackson went on at length, listing various black actors and their commercials. Video of the exchange quickly went viral.
“I’m the ‘What’s in Your Wallet,’ black guy,” he said of his own commercial for a credit-card company. “He’s the car black guy. Morgan Freeman is the other credit-card black guy. You only hear his voice, though, so you probably won’t confuse him with Laurence Fishburne.”
Fishburne, as the character Morpheus from the Matrix movies, appeared in the Super Bowl commercial for Kia automobiles.