When it came to Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Martin Lawrence brought his usual charm and humor to the role of Marcus Burnett. However, the veteran comedian was also called upon to help add some fresh ingredients to Marcus’ characterization. That included a wild wedding stunt that Will Smith posted about on social media recently. Since then, Lawrence himself has now spoken about performing that major on-set feat, and I have to say that I love the Big Momma’s House star’s take even more than I enjoy the video of him filming the impressive stunt.
The Martin Lawrence Stunt Will Smith Posted About On Social Media
The latest addition to the series of Bad Boys movies (which we’ve ranked) kicks off with a wedding, as Mike ties the knot with the newly introduced Christine. Mike’s best man, the emotional Marcus, gives a hilariously sweet toast to his buddy and his bride. From there, Marcus begins to party hard and, while tearing it up on the dance floor, suffers a mild heart attack – which leads to a near-death experience. That latter portion is visualized as Marcus falling into an ocean before entering the “other side,” where he meets his late boss, Captain Howard.
As revealed by Will Smith on Instagram, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah achieved the falling sequence by strapping Martin Lawrence to a tilting contraption. It’s a cool behind-the-scenes clip that you can check out below:
One might be tempted to assume that the Martin star would feel a way about having to be locked in and perform such a stunt. However, you may be surprised to hear his true feelings on the matter.
How Martin Lawrence Felt About Performing The Stunt For Ride Or Die
The Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins star recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he discussed the success of Bad Boys: Ride or Die. It was during the interview that the eponymous host showed off the same clip Will Smith shared. Martin Lawrence then revealed that he ultimately shot that sequence “about seven” times. For some, the sheer notion of having to do that several times might be daunting. Funny enough, though, Lawrence explained that he enjoyed it and laughed off any notion that he didn’t:
Nah, they had me in there nice – locked in pretty good and everything. But it was fun to me. I wanted to do it more. I thought I was at Disneyland.
The 59-year-old actor is a true champ, and what I appreciate even more is another brief comment he made in the YouTube clip. Jimmy Kimmel mentioned that earlier this year, he spoke with Eddie Murphy, who spoke about performing stunts for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. The host asked the Wild Hogs star if he experienced moments on the Ride or Die set in which he opted not to perform a requested stunt, and he said he didn’t have any situations like that crop up. Sure, he’s getting paid millions of dollars to do the work, but I still appreciate the beloved funnyman’s commitment, especially at his age.
Some are probably wondering whether Bad Boys 5 will happen. Will Smith spoke on the possibility of doing a fifth film with Martin Lawrence, though he’s seemingly of the thinking that there needs to be a good reason to do another one, which makes sense. If there is a fifth movie, I’m not sure if the director(s) would have Lawrence perform a stunt like the one from the wedding scene. However, based on his delightful thoughts on taking part in such a scene, I think he’d be down for more.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is now available on digital platforms and is available to own on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. Also, check out the 2024 movie schedule for info on films that are now playing in theaters or will be heading to cinemas.
