Will Smith, Martin Lawrence share ‘little things’ about each other

Actors Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, close friends and on-screen partners for decades, still find themselves getting on each other’s nerves at times. During the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’, the two seasoned actors discussed the minor quirks that irritate them about each other, 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 actors, who portray Miami-based detective duo Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett in the blockbuster action film franchise that debuted in 1995, also shared their excitement about completing the fourth feature, set to hit theaters on June 7.

Filming for the project began in Atlanta in April 2023 but was halted in July due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Production resumed after the strike ended and finally wrapped up in March 2024.

Discussing the most challenging part of shooting ‘Ride or Die’, Smith and Lawrence both said, “To finish the movie.”

“We got shut down in the middle. Double strikes — writer strike, actor strike — right in the middle of the movie,” Smith recalled, expressing 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.”

Ultimately, Smith stated that the forced pause turned out to be a blessing 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, noting 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 noted that Smith and Lawrence are the same people both on and off the set. “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 Fallah from ‘Bad Boys for Life’ (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’ hits theaters on June 7, reported People.