Will Smith, a globally recognized movie star, owes a significant part of his success to Michael Bay's 1995 blockbuster, Bad Boys. While his music and role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air had already made him a household name, Bad Boys propelled him to new heights. This film was the stepping stone that led to Independence Day, Men In Black, and more. The ongoing success of the Bad Boys franchise is a testament to the role it played in catapulting him into the realm of A-list celebrities. 

When Smith looks back over the past 30 years, he has a lot to be thankful for regarding Bad Boys, and a big portion of that gratitude should go to Martin Lawrence, who initially convinced him to sign on for the film.



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Martin Lawrence Convinced Will Smith To Sign On For Bad Boys Without Reading A Script

With the release of the fourth Bad Boys film, also known as Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, in theaters, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding the group lately. Will Smith recently took to Instagram to share the group's origin story. He shared a promotional image of himself and Martin Lawrence and a caption stating that the film's production began 30 years prior, in June 1994.

He also thought back to how his co-star initially interested him in the movie, which would ultimately change his life. 

Smith claims he was thrilled about the movie Bad Boys when he heard about it during a planned dinner with Martin Lawrence. However, there was a big catch: he had to commit to the project without seeing the script. The performer penned, 


That's a significant request. The entire thing could have easily blown up in his face, as many awful films started with a fantastic premise. Thankfully, there is a happy ending to the tale. 

 

Smith went on to say in his post that although there was hesitation, he trusted Martin Lawrence:

The answer to how long Will Smith hesitated to make the choice appears to be "not very long." In December 2019, Martin Lawrence related his version of the incident while appearing on The Ellen Show. He said, 

It's hard to imagine a Bad Boys film without the iconic duo of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. They have elevated the characters of Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett to heroic status in the action movie genre. The fact that the project initially had two very different stars attached is a surprising twist in the franchise's history.