How come he wasn't cast to play Ike Turner in What's Love Got To Do With It?

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

he looks just like him

 

[Jello Biafra]

Director Brian Gibson always wanted Laurence Fishburne for the role. He offered it to him 5 separate times but Fishburne kept turning him down until he found out Angela Bassett was cast as Tina and finally said yes.

 

[Poetical Poltergeist]

Fishburne was perfectly casted.

 

[STEVE]

WHY would ANYONE cast anybody else besides laurence fishburne?! he was absolutely perfect in the role. this movie is raw as fukk i never looked at tina turner the same way ever again. angela bassett was also perfect in it.

 

[Groanman]

"Go on, then."

 

[Jplaya2023]

can the nikka act and be a lead for a 2 hour movie.

WHat other movies has he done until that point.

 

[zayk35]

Nah larry was just fine he is ike turner to me

 

[Jello Biafra]

can the nikka act and be a lead for a 2 hour movie.

WHat other movies has he done until that point.

In 1993 Thomas Byrd had only done stage plays and some episodic TV.
But dude can act and has been really good in everything I have seen him in in subsequent years. Plus you never know if an actor can play the lead till he is given the chance to play the lead. And when he was given that chance he got nominated for a Tony as Best Actor for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
So I think Fishburne was damn near perfect in the role of Ike Turner, I don't doubt that Byrd would have done well if he had been cast.