Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die is filled with fun cameos, which include returning characters and surprising celebrity appearances. The fourth movie in the franchise sees Mike and Marcus on the run from the law as they try to clear Captain Howard’s name. Their dangerous mission brings them head to head with the leader of a dangerous drug cartel, but they also bump into many unusual characters along the way. Following the success of Bad Boys for Life, Ride or Die gives fans of the franchise more explosive action and quippy dialogue.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a hit with fans, as well as a rare box office success in a year when several blockbusters have fallen short of expectations. Although it hasn’t received unanimously positive reviews from critics, Ride or Die shows that the team behind the Bad Boys franchise know exactly what their fans want to see. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are given plenty of opportunities to crack jokes, the action sequences are more inventive than ever, and the string of unexpected cameos is another crowd-pleasing tactic that adds to the fun.

7

Jay Shetty

Mike’s wedding officiant

Bad Boys: Ride or Die opens with Mike and Marcus squabbling as they drive to Mike’s wedding. There’s a brief confrontation in a convenience store, but it doesn’t take long for the movie to introduce its first cameo. The man officiating Mike’s wedding is played by Jay Shetty, a British podcaster, author and life coach who has styled himself as a self-help guru to the stars. Shetty is close friends with Will Smith, which probably explains how he landed this role in such a massive blockbuster, despite his lack of acting experience.

Jay Shetty’s other high-profile acting gig came in Jennifer Lopez’s musical drama film This is Me… Now: A Love Story, which serves as a visual accompaniment to her 2024 album. He plays Aries in the Zodiacal Council alongside stars such as Post Malone, Jane Fonda and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Mostly, though, Shetty is known for his podcast On Purpose, which saw him record an episode in the White House with President Joe Biden. He has also interviewed countless other famous faces about their mental health, their habits and their tips for living well.

6

John Salley

Fletcher

Fletcher was a fan-favorite in the first two Bad Boys movies, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him as one of the returning characters in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Fletcher was absent in Bad Boys for Life, and he reappears in the sequel with a new approach to life. After years as a successful hacker, Fletcher has gone straight, fancying himself as an artist instead. Captain Howard even trusts him enough with some vital information to pass on to Mike and Marcus. He hides a QR code in one of his artworks that reveals another video message left by the Captain.

John Salley has had plenty of small parts in movies and TV shows over the years, including a recurring role in the Bad Boys spinoff L.A.’s Finest. Despite this success as an actor, Salley will always be known primarily as an NBA star. The former power forward won four championship rings playing for the Pistons, Raptors and Lakers during his career. At just a hair under seven feet tall, Salley is a commanding presence on the court and on film. After Fletcher’s shocking death in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Salley sadly won’t be returning if there are any further sequels.

5

Michael Bay

Porsche driver

Michael Bay’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die cameo is a multi-layered treat for fans of the franchise. The director took charge of the first two Bad Boys movies, bringing his trademark style of chaotic action known as “Bayhem”. Bay has also directed action blockbusters including Armageddon, Pearl Harbor and the Transformers movies, which all rely on thunderous explosions and frenzied camera movement. Bad Boys was his first feature-length movie, so it’s touching to see him staying so close to a franchise which means so much to him, even though the last two movies have been directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.

Bay plays a man driving a Porsche shortly after Marcus walks backwards into traffic to prove his invincibility. The Porsche itself is a nod to the car from the first movie. Bay had a similar cameo in Bad Boys II, when Marcus had to commandeer the car he was driving. He also appeared in Bad Boys for Life as the M.C. at Marcus’ wedding. Since he is never named in these cameo appearances, it’s hard to tell if he’s meant to be the same character. Either way, it’s nice to see Bad Boys: Ride or Die keeping the franchise tradition alive.

4

Khaby Lame

Bystander on the street

Right after Michael Bay’s brief appearance, Bad Boys: Ride or Die rolls out its shortest and strangest cameo of all. TikTok star Khaby Lame walks past Marcus, who has just miraculously survived moonwalking across a busy intersection, and delivers one of his trademark shrugs. Lame shot to fame for his deadpan videos which mock the artificiality of other social media stars, especially those who proffer overly complicated life hacks and exercise routines. The Senegalese-Italian creator currently holds the record for the most TikTok followers.

Khaby Lame’s cameo is one of Bad Boys: Ride or Die‘s easter eggs that’s clearly targeted toward younger audiences. The movie does a lot to please long-term fans of the franchise, but, just like Bad Boys for Life, it also appeals to a new generation. Lame’s role is so minimal that it has no bearing on the plot, but it’s another step in his remarkable rise. After being laid off from his factory job during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lame turned to TikTok for fun. His sudden success has been far more organic than most other social media stars, with people clearly resonating with his deadpan expressions.

3

Tiffany Haddish

Tabitha

While Mike and Marcus are fugitives from the law, they seek help from Tabitha, a woman from Mike’s past working as a stripper. She seems willing to help them at first, although she does tease Mike with some raunchy comments. After he rebuffs her advances, she grows tired of her game and reveals that she had been meaning to betray the men all along so that she could collect her share of the $5 million bounty placed on their heads. She calls her friends to drag Mike, Marcus and Armando away.

Tabitha and Mike clearly share a history together, but Ride or Die is Tabitha’s first appearance in the Bad Boys franchise. Whatever she and Mike experienced with one another happened off-screen at some point. Tiffany Haddish gets a chance to have some fun with Tabitha’s crude humor. Haddish is a stand-up comedian and actor who rose to fame with her 2017 comedy movie Girls Trip. This success afforded her the freedom to choose from several high profile projects, but she has also leveraged her popularity to continue writing and voice acting.

2

Joyner Lucas

Gang leader

Tabitha’s unnamed criminal associate is played by rapper Joyner Lucas, who arrives to take Mike, Marcus and Armando away. Ultimately, a firefight erupts on the street outside, and Lucas’ appearance is over all too soon. He’s a menacing presence when he first arrives, and it seems as though he could be set to play a more important role. Instead, he is gunned down as the Bad Boys escape with Armando amid the chaos. Bad Boys: Ride or Die is just Lucas’ second film appearance, following Mark Wahlberg’s 2023 action comedy The Family Plan.

Joyner Lucas released his debut album ADHD in 2020 after steadily building his fan base with a string of singles and mixtapes. He released his second studio album, Not Now I’m Busy, in March 2024. His short appearance in Bad Boys: Ride or Die suggests that he may be interested in pursuing more acting roles in the future, although he shows no signs of slowing down his music career. It’s also a nice nod to his music video “Will,” in which he pays tribute to Will Smith by portraying the actor in his biggest projects, from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Aladdin, and, of course, Bad Boys.

1

DJ Khaled

Manny the Butcher

Joyner Lucas isn’t the only musician who makes an appearance in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. DJ Khaled reprises his role as Manny the Butcher from Bad Boys for Life. This time round, Manny gets interested when he hears about the bounty on Mike and Marcus, so he tries to intercept them from the rival gang leader played by Lucas. The ensuing shootout is a disaster, but Manny seems to escape with his life. Khaled puts his larger-than-life personality to good use in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Manny seems to be a criminal who likes a little bit of theatricality.

The cast of Bad Boys: Ride or Die has a good mix of familiar faces and new stars. DJ Khaled’s second franchise appearance is a fun way to provide some continuity that doesn’t pull too much attention away from Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Khaled has had a few other film roles. He plays himself in The Lonely Island’s spoof biopic Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, and he worked with Will Smith previously in the animated comedy Spies in Disguise. As a musician, he has produced songs for megastars such as Lil Wayne, Drake, Rihanna.