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Updated May 18th, 2021 at 18:18 IST

Will Smith was not the first choice for 'Bad Boys', here is how he was cast

Actor Will Smith was apparently not the first choice for the hit 'Bad Boys' movie series. Know who was supposed to play Detective Mike Lowrey instead of Smith.

Reported by: Jewelyn Fernandes
Will Smith
Image: Still from Bad Boys For Life | Image:self
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Actor Will Smith has been known for his stellar performances in action movies like Men In Black, Suicide Squad, I, Robot, Enemy of The State, and many others. One of his most iconic and memorable roles includes Mike Lowrey from Bad Boys movie next to veteran actor and comedian Martin Lawrence. Smith and Lawrence's bromance comedy movie not only one the fans' hearts but also got a big thumbs up from the critics who gave the movie a rating of 6.9 out of 10 stars on IMDb and 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But it is a lesser-known fact that Will Smith was not the first choice for the movie series' casting.  

Bad Boys movie casting

While both Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have been associated for their successful roles as Detective Sergeant Michael Eugene 'Mike' Lowrey and Detective Sergeant Marcus Miles Burnett, respectively, the two were not the first choice for the hit action movie series. According to IMDb, the casting for Bad Boys movie did not consider adding Will as one of the star cast members. The Nutty Professor fame actor Eddie Murphy and Wesley Snipes from Blade series were the initial choices as the two leads. 

Michael Bay later claimed that the distributor, Sony Pictures Releasing had bought the rights for the film after which Martin Lawrence was signed as one of the lead actors of the movie and Arsenio Hall, the late-night talk show host was considered for the role next to Lawrence. When Hall turned down the offer, director Michael Bay, who would mark his debut with Bad Boys movie considered Will Smith for the role as he had earned star power for his role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. According to IMDb, Arsenio Hall later regretted his decision to turn down the role. 

The Bad Boys movie series 

The first Bad Boys movie became a hit among Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's fans and earned $141.4 million USD at the Box Office. Bad Boys II was released on July 18, 2003, marking another hit for director Michael Bay. The movie received a rating of 6.6 out of 10 stars on IMDb and earned $273.3 million USD at the Box Office. The third and most recent instalment in the Bad Boys series was released on January 17, 2020, titled Bad Boys For Life. The movie was helmed by Adil & Bilall and earned the makers $426.5 million USD at the Box Office. 

  • Image: Still from Bad Boys
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Published May 18th, 2021 at 18:17 IST

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