Will Smith celebrates 30 years of 'Bad Boys': A look back at the iconic franchise

Will Smith is celebrating 30 years of his iconic film Bad Boys. 

The Men in Black star, 56, took to Instagram to mark the milestone anniversary of the action franchise's first film, sharing a joint post with costar Martin Lawrence and the franchise's official account.

"30 years ago @jerrybruckheimer, Don Simpson and @michaelbay took a chance on us and Bad Boys was born!! Grateful for all the love y’all have shown us thru the years,” the Instagram caption read. 

Smith included several behind-the-scenes photos from the original film, showcasing his chemistry with Lawrence, 59, as well as the film's director, Michael Bay, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

The photos also featured Smith's costars, including Michael Imperioli, Joe Pantoliano, Téa Leoni, and Theresa Randle. Smith and Lawrence star as Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Bennett in the franchise.

The Bad Boys franchise has earned $1.2 billion at the box office across all four films, per Collider. The franchise has seen four films: the original 1995 box office hit, followed by Bad Boys II in 2003, Bad Boys for Life in 2020, and most recently, Bad Boys: Ride or Die in 2024.

In a June 2024 Instagram post, Smith reflected on filming the first installment and revealed the process behind his audition. 

"I was 25 years old. Marty Mar was 29. Just two kids - who lucked out and got to live their dreams on the first try," he wrote.

The Oscar slap famed actor shared that Lawrence's sister convinced her brother to ask him to audition for the role of Mike. "I was hooked. 'Let’s go! When can I read the script?' Marty Mar’s face scrunched up. 'Nawww - you can’t big Willie. The script’s not there yet. You just gotta trust me and commit,' " he wrote.

Smith's caption continued, "But it was my shot to work with w comedic genius like Martin - so I said, 'you know what? F%## it. I’m in.' And the rest is history."

At the Los Angeles premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die in June 2024, producer Jerry Bruckheimer praised the chemistry between Smith and Lawrence. "They're creative and fun. They're so great to work with," he said.

Bruckheimer added, "There's never any arguments, we just have a blast going through the process, and it's a long process to get these made."

The first two Bad Boys films are available to stream on both Hulu and Peacock. 

The third, Bad Boys for Life, is available on Hulu, and the fourth, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, is available on Netflix.