See Will Smith Apologize To Michael Bay For Bad Boys Shirtless Scene
Bad Boys was the first Michael Bay film. That film not only launched his career as a director, but it also catapulted Will Smith into the action star that we all know him as today.
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It’s great to see the relationship between Will Smith and Michael Bay is alive and well. Bay recently took to his Instagram to post a hilarious video of receiving Smith’s autobiography as a Christmas present. The present isn’t the hilarious aspect, but what was written inside the book. The dedication read “Okay Michael. You were right, I was wrong!” To those who might not understand what this apology was about, Bay goes into funny detail about what might have caused this apology. It has everything to do with the first film they worked together on, Bad Boys. Bay wanted Smith to take off his shirt in a chase scene, but Smith all but refused. They came up with a compromise that likely launched the actor into superstardom.
See the Michael Bay video containing Will Smith’s apology below:
Bad Boys was the first Michael Bay film. That film not only launched his career as a director, but it also catapulted Will Smith into the action star that we all know him as today. Back in 1995, Smith was just a funny man with his own show. Not a bad place to be in, but his aim was always higher. That’s where Bad Boys came into play. The buddy-cop action film was the launching point that led Smith into roles like Men In Black and Independence Day. Bay would go on to make Armageddon, The Rock, Bad Boys II, and Transformers. You could say that putting Smith in an open and flowing shirt benefited both of them, hence his hilarious dedication in the book.
Will Smith recently released an autobiography of his life, aptly titled, Will. This book goes into detail about his personal life and his life traversing through Hollywood. The scene in question from Bad Boys was that of Mike Lowrey (Smith) chasing down some criminals in an open shirt. Michael Bay wanted Smith to be completely shirtless, but that idea was shot down quickly. After a ton of convincing, a compromise was thought of. Smith would be allowed to wear a shirt, but it had to be opened, exposing his chest. Michael Bay recalls that he then yelled that he had just made the young actor a superstar. You can’t argue with the results, as all of those aforementioned films followed for both of their careers.
Since 1995, Will Smith has become a massive movie star and the same can be said about Michael Bay’s trajectory as a director and producer. It’s funny to think about what might have happened, had that compromise not been thought of. That significant moment could very well have been the defining moment in both of their careers. It sure sounds like Bay was “right.” The above Instagram video shows the hilarious commentary from Michael Bay. He says “looks like an apology” in response to the written dedication. The pair haven’t worked together since Bad Boys II in 2003, but it sounds as if they cultivated quite a relationship with one another.
Michael Bay is currently set to release his action film, Ambulance, starring Jake Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Will Smith recently appeared in King Richard, which has heavy Academy Award implications. It sounds like Smith has extended an olive branch and recognizes that Bay was instrumental in launching his film career.
