'How Do I Say This Without Being Offensive To Anybody?': Eric Dane Gets Real About Will Smith And What It's Like Working With Him And Martin Lawrence On A Bad Boys Set
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The 2024 movie schedule has been full of action and suspense; partially thanks to the explosive thrills seen in directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s latest Bad Boys legacy-quel. As part of that experience, the two worked with the likes of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, which can be super intimidating on a normal day, and practically mythic when that task includes helping to propel the series that started as one of the best ‘90s movies. And no matter where you sit on the Eric Dane “generational war,” his recollection of working with Smith and Lawrence on Ride or Die is super relatable.
While being interviewed by his Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi for Interview Magazine, Eric Dane eventually discussed his experience playing Bad Boys: Ride or Die antagonist James McGrath. Dane aimed not to be "offensive" towards anyone while sharing his take. And, ultimately, based on his thoughts, the shoot was a complex experience, and he made some kind observations about Will Smith as well:
Okay, how do I say this without being offensive to anybody? Because the experience was awesome. And Will Smith and Martin Lawrence could not be cooler human beings. But for the most part, the notes you have to hit shooting a Bad Boys movie are entirely different. I’m not suggesting one is better than the other, or more gratifying. It’s just different. Will Smith, you would get along great with him, dude. He is such a solid dude. He’s a fantastic actor. He is wildly talented. He’s super committed, Jacob. He cares so much about the project. He actually, you know, makes it better. It’s a great work environment. There wasn’t much being asked of me but those very specific notes, and I’m hoping that I hit every single one of them. I saw the movie twice.
For as formidable as the Grey's Anatomy alum appears to be in Bad Boys 4, it’s kind of crazy to learn about him having those specific “notes” to hit in scenes of intense threats and/or physical violence. Aside from that, The Last Ship alum’s praise for Will Smith’s abilities as an actor only reinforces what most people would tell you about the Academy Award winner’s work ethic.
At the same time, you could see why Eric Dane is worried about offending someone, as that exact process could feed the presumption that the I Am Legend star is a controlling perfectionist. That surely doesn't seem to be the case though, especially with Dane being so proud of his work that he's seen the motion picture twice.
Whoever stars as the heavy in the potential potential Bad Boys 5 could probably learn a thing or two from the One Fast Move star's account shared above. Since many actors relish playing the villain in a project such as this, the seasoned actor's words can surely help guide whomever the hypothetical baddie in the next chapter happens to be.
Anyone who has to pretend to threaten Will Smith or his on-screen crew in a future installment would really have to bring their A-game. Given that this Jerry Bruckheimer-produced thrill ride of a franchise would be entering its fifth round of explosive mayhem, a fresh big bad would definitely be necessary. Let's hope that should the movie happen, the person cast as the villain will hear Eric Dane's thoughts and take them to heart.
Should you be looking to revisit the latest of the Bad Boys movies or check it out for the first time, Ride or Die is currently available to rent or own through PVOD and Digital HD. But if you still need to catch Bad Boys For Life before jumping into the more recent installment, a Hulu subscription is all you need to stream it. Not to mention all of you Grey’s Anatomy fans can revisit Eric Dane’s time on the hit ABC drama through that same membership; so consider it a win-win.
