If there’s one thing Will Smith is known for, it’s for being a sharp dresser, and his smooth sense of style has flowed into his film roles as well. Movies like Wild Wild West and Hitch have given Smith a chance to experiment with looks. The same can be said for the Bad Boys franchise but due to the action-packed nature of the movies, he was sometimes limited in his options. However, while making Bad Boys for Life, things were a little different for Smtih.
Smith was recently asked about his big-screen footwear by Complex, an interview that the actor compiled into a press tour video for his YouTube channel. According to the actor, previous films called for him to wear certain shoes for stunts. Conversely, Bad Boys for Life allowed him to expand his range a bit:
In the first movies, I was having to wear things for stunts. So, my wardrobe was designed around being able to run, being able to do stunts. This was less of an issue [this time around].
Will Smith’s shoe game in the original Bad Boys flicks wasn’t completely stunted, though. As mentioned in the interview, the star sported the Nike Air Mission, which were popular in the mid-‘90s.
Doing stunt work in movies can be difficult, and wearing shoes that aren’t conducive to the movements being made by the actors can be difficult. So it’s a good thing Smith wasn’t called up to do anything to strenuous this time around. This may partly be due to the fact that the actor once known as the Fresh Prince is now over 50.
Smith, of course, isn’t the only actor who has to take his footwear into consideration when preparing for stunts. At 57-years-old, Tom Cruise is still performing the majority of his stunts, with his most recent work coming from the sets of Mission: Impossible 7 and Top Gun: Maverick. Nevertheless, Cruise has never shown as much concern for his personal appearance in his movies as Will Smith has.
Bad Boys for Life depicted Smith’s Detective Mike Lowrey as going through a bit of a midlife crisis, which his partner Marcus Burnett has no problem teasing him about. While this plot point added a jolt of humor to the film, it also served as a great way for Smith to dive into different clothing options. It wouldn’t be shocking if Smith and the producers talked this out while the film was in development.
With a fourth Bad Boys installment currently in the works, there’s still time for us to see what else Will Smith has planned for his on-set wardrobe. It’ll also be interesting to see if Mike Lowrey’s newly discovered son has inherited his style. Bad Boys for Life will be available on digital platforms on March 31.
