There comes a time in every raunchy comedian's career that they start making family movies. That time has come for Martin Lawrence. He eased us into it with the Big Momma movies, but Rebound and Open Season made it clear that he was doing things for the kids. His latest film, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, is for the whole family. From children to veterans like James Earl Jones, with comedians like Mo'Nique and Mike Epps in between, the title character has to deal with his whole dysfunctional family on a reunion weekend.
Crave Online: How do you pick projects?
Martin Lawrence: Oh, the paycheck. The paycheck usually helps me know. No, if the script is good, but the paycheck helps though, I tell you. If the script is good, if it’s something I can read and I go, "You know what, if I do this film I could do justice to it." Then I try to get into it, and it’s something I try to put out there for you guys to see, and hopefully enjoy.
Crave Online: Do you think comedians all have dark places that it comes from?
Martin Lawrence: Right, but people that don’t make people laugh, you all sitting here. All of us could have very dark lives and everything else. Sometimes the pressure is all what you make it. If it’s something that you really love what you do, you get into what you do and you work hard to do just what it is you’re trying to accomplish and make people laugh. I don’t think you have to have a dark side to make people laugh.
Crave Online: Did you want to show a little bit of a dramatic side in this movie?
Martin Lawrence: Well, to be able to show a dramatic side in this movie for me was special for me because I don’t get an opportunity to do that very often. To be able to do it opposite James Earl Jones was just big. He showed me who the real vet was, because I thought I was doing something and he turned around with a tear in his eye saying, "Young man, can you do this?" And I couldn’t do that. I said, "Oh my God, I’m dealing with a real veteran here." But it was a lot of fun, so I was glad I had the opportunity to do that, and try anyway.
Crave Online: Do you have aspirations to do more full on drama?
Martin Lawrence: If the right script came along, I would love to try it. I haven’t had an opportunity because I never get sent those kind of scripts. They don’t think of me for them for whatever reason and I never get them so that’s why when you have something like Roscoe Jenkins that allows me in to have that kind of moment with James Earl Jones in the movie. I’m proud of that moment. But if I ever get the opportunity, I don’t even think it’ll be about the money. It’ll be about something that I feel that I could honestly bring to you guys to show you that side.
Crave Online: With a cast full of comedians, did you have to restrain yourselves for the rating? Is there any juicy stuff we'll see in bloopers?
Martin Lawrence: No, I’d be interested to see the bloopers they have because I don’t remember all of it, but I didn’t have to pull back on anything because I’ve been doing it long enough so I know when to press go and when to press stop. So I just enjoyed everybody else and what they had to deliver. Michael Epps is just so funny off-camera, his energy, his spirit, Cedric singing all the time when we weren’t doing anything, just his energy and spirit, and Mo’Nique is just hilarious, so the whole cast was just a joy and just wonderful to work with.
Crave Online: Did you feel like the leader because you’re the biggest name and most bankable star in the movie?
Martin Lawrence: I’ll gladly take that role, meaning the Chicago Bulls had to have Michael Jordan, right? Lakers got to have Kobe, Miami got to have Shaq, right? So I’ll take that, but you know what, I couldn’t have did it without my teammates. So we all support each other, we help each other, we’re one big cast, so we’re one, that’s it.