Martin Lawrence Reveals He Turned Down A Major Buddy Cop Franchise
Martin Lawrence recently shared a surprising revelation – he turned down a chance to star in the popular buddy cop franchise, Rush Hour. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with his Bad Boys: Ride or Die co-star, Will Smith, Martin, 59, disclosed that Jackie Chan initially approached him for the role before Chris Tucker joined the series.
“Jackie Chan asked me to star in Rush Hour with him, but I turned it down,” Martin revealed while playing the show’s true confessions game with Will and host Jimmy Fallon. Will, 55, reacted with surprise, saying, “Jackie Chan likes Black people,” as he and Fallon, 49, tried to determine if the story was true.
When Jimmy asked why he declined Chan’s offer, Martin simply replied, “Wasn’t enough money.”
He later confirmed the story, adding, “I was happy for Chris, that’s what it was supposed to be. Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, and they brought a beautiful franchise with Rush Hour.”
Rush Hour, released in 1998, starred Chan and Chris as two mismatched police officers who team up to rescue a kidnapped Chinese diplomat’s daughter in Los Angeles. The movie was a huge success, becoming the ninth highest-grossing film of the year domestically and spawning two sequels in 2001 and 2007.
In December 2022, Chan hinted at a possible fourth installment in the franchise during a film festival in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Martin is preparing for his own franchise’s fourth entry with Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Teaming up once again with Will, the duo returns as Miami detectives Marcus Bennett and Mike Lowrey. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the film also features an impressive cast including Alexander Ludwig, Vanessa Hudgens, Eric Dane, Tasha Smith, Ioan Gruffudd, Paola Nuñez, Jacob Scipio, Melanie Liburd, and Tiffany Haddish.
Martin and Will originally teamed up for the first Bad Boys movie in 1995, three years before Rush Hour hit theaters. Now, nearly three decades later, they are back to bring more action and comedy to the big screen. Bad Boys: Ride or Die is set to release in theaters soon, promising fans another thrilling adventure with their favorite detective duo.
