Washington [US], June 2 (ANI): Actors Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have been close friends and on-screen partners for decades, yet they still get on each other’s nerves at times. During the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’, the two experienced actors discussed the minor peculiarities about each other that irritate them, reported People.
“He likes to rehearse all the time,” Lawrence, said of Smith.
Smith replied, “That’s funny. I definitely like to…”
“It’s not a hate, but there’s a fun quirk that makes me laugh about Martin all the time. He never takes two sips out of a water bottle,” he said. “He drinks the whole water bottle in one go, every time. It’s like, ‘Yo, man!’ “
Lawrence jokingly responded, “That’s because I can’t babysit water.”
The two actors, who play Miami-based detective pair Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett in the blockbuster action film franchise, which debuted in 1995, also discussed how it feels to finally have the fourth feature completed and set to hit theatres on June 7.
Filming for the project first kicked off in Atlanta in April 2023 but was halted just months later in July due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Production later resumed once the strike ended, and then finally wrapped up in March 2024.
Talking about the most challenging part while shooting for ‘Ride or Die’, Smith and Lawrence both answered, “To finish the movie.”
“We got shut down in the middle. Double strikes — writer strike, actor strike — right in the middle of the movie,” said Smith, recalling his frustrations over the delay.
“We wanted to finish the movie really bad. We knew that we were making something special, so trying to keep it all together during that time was difficult,” he added.
Ultimately, Smith stated that the forced pause was a gift in disguise. “As it turned out, it actually helped us — the movie ripened during that time,” he explained.
Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the movie, praised the two stars, sharing there was “never a dull moment” with Lawrence and Smith during production.
“They’re creative and fun. They’re so great to work with,” he said. “There’s never any arguments, we just have a blast going through the process, and it’s a long process to get these made.”
Bruckheimer also stated that Smith and Lawrence are the same people both on and off the set.
“I’ll tell you, Will and Martin are no different. They’re great in front of the camera and they’re fun off camera, they really are,” he said. “They’re good friends and I love being with them, and they’re just great talents. The world is a better place with Will and Martin in it.”
According to the trailers for the next ‘Bad Boys’ film, Mike and Marcus are on the run after the murder of their commanding officer, Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano), who is accused of wrongdoing.
The movie — which brings back co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall, who helmed the third installment, ‘Bad Boys for Life’, in 2020 — also stars Vanessa Hudgens, Eric Dane, Alexander Ludwig, Tasha Smith, Ioan Gruffudd, Tiffany Haddish, Paola Nunez, Jacob Scipio and Melanie Liburd. ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ is in theaters June 7, reported People. (ANI)
