Will Smith gets new name amid 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die' release

Martin Lawrence gushed over his co-star Will Smith ahead of new movie release.

While promoting new movie Bad Boys: Ride Or Die on the latest episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the 59-year-old acting sensation heaped praise for his co-star, “I got to tell you this dude is awesome."

“He's one of the most professional actors out there. The most talented actors out there. He has a brilliant mind. He's a genius. He's upstanding,” he added.

The show host Jimmy went on to point out, “I mean, he's no Eddie Murphy.”

“He don't got to be Eddie Murphy. He's Will Smith,” Martin insisted.

It is pertinent to mention here that before his discussion Will Smith said, “Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz were the original Bad Boys,” and noted, “That would have been a very different movie.”

Martin chimed in to remark, “But it would have been funny.”

He revealed that his sister asked him to take projects with Will and continued, “I wanted to do it with Eddie Murphy and you know that's my man.”

Will joked in response, “I'm sitting right here.”

“At that time I wanted Eddie for the movie but I couldn't afford Eddie,” Martin explained before speaking highly of Will.