Martin Lawrence Says He Wanted Eddie Murphy to Co-Star in BAD BOYS, and He Talks About Why He Chose Will Smith

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith have starred in four Bad Boys films over the last few decades, and they have continued to deliver laughs as well as action to moviegoers. The pair are synonymous with the franchise, but when the idea for the first movie was pitched to Martin Lawrence, he admits he actually wanted Eddie Murphy to be his on-screen partner.

In a recent Q&A promoting the upcoming sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Lawrence revealed his first choice of co-star, and why it didn’t work out, saying:

“I had a deal with Sony, and this was a movie they brought to me to see if I wanted to do, and I just had to find a partner to do it with. And I was thinking about doing it with Eddie Murphy and all that, but he costs too much.”

So he was pointed in the direction of Will Smith, and he went on to detail their meeting:

“But I picked the right person, because my sister was the one who told me, ‘You should do it with Will.’ Two sitcom stars, y’all coming together to meet on the big screen, that could be something special. So me and Will had a dinner, and after five minutes of talking to Will, he’s the best salesman ever. So I couldn’t say no, and it’s been Bad Boys ever since.”

Lawrence had already worked with Murphy on the 1992 rom-com Boomerang, and he ended up getting to team up again for the 1999 prison comedy Life. Nowadays, Murphy’s son and Lawrence’s daughter are engaged, and the two have exchanged funny takes on who’s paying for the wedding.

The pair would have done just fine on Bad Boys, but I really enjoy Will Smith in the role, and I think the right choice was made.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die opens everywhere on June 7th.

via: CinemaBlend