Will Smith Answers Whether ‘Fresh Prince’ or ‘Martin’ Was Better: ‘Martin Was Hands Down Funnier Than Me’

Both actors starred in their own iconic sitcoms in the '90s.

June 6, 2024

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence pose together at a red carpet event. Will Smith wears a checkered coat; Martin Lawrence wears a black suit with a turtleneck — Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Will Smith answered the age-old question of which is better, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or Martin?

Chad Ochocinco Johnson lobbed the inquiry at Smith in a new episode of Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe.

“It wasn’t even a competition,” Smith said, as he's seated next to Martin Lawrence. “Martin was hands down funnier than me. I used to study this dude in pure jealousy at the level of comedic genius that he could portray. I’m an actor that needs a script. Martin, you can just roll and say, ‘Go’ and just let it rip and make it up and different takes and all of that and just how he used his body and he’ll look and notice something in the room and grab it and use it.”

Smith added, “It’s a level of comedic genius that is stunning to me.” His response prompted a “thank you” from Lawrence.

Fresh Prince and Martin aired around the same time, with the former on TV for six seasons from 1990 to 1996, and the latter on for five seasons, from 1992 to 1997.

Both actors star in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which hits theaters on Friday. The fourth installment in the Bad Boys franchise follows 1995's first film, 2003's Bad Boys II, and 2020's Bad Boys for Life. In the latest installation, the buddy cop duo attempts to clear up the name of their deceased Captain Conrad Howard.