Why Theresa Randle Not Returning to Bad Boys: Do or Die
Bad Boys franchise star Theresa Randle has been recast in the latest sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, as viewers question why this decision was made.
Randle has starred in all three Bad Boys movies so far as Martin Lawrence’s character’s wife. Randle was expected to return to her role after Sony confirmed that Bad Boys 4 was going ahead, but that didn’t happen. Tasha Smith (no relation to Will) replaced Theresa Randle in the film as Theresa Burnett.
Theresa Burnett’s character always tries to stop her cop husband Marcus from eating junk food, while he and his best friend Mike Lowry (Smith) try to track down a dirty mole (Eric Dane) inside the government which is on target. He also killed his late boss, Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano) and framed Howard for work with a drug cartel. Also read – Ariana Grande released the ‘The Boy Is Mine’ music video.
Theresa Randle’s health concern
Theresa Randle first appeared as her Bad Boys character, also named Theresa, in the first Bad Boys film in 1995 alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. She then returned in its sequel Bad Boys II (2003) and Bad Boys for Life in 2020, the latter being her first on-screen film role in 10 years.
Theresa was brought into the film as part of the script for Bad Boys 3, in which she and Marcus were still happily married and had recently become grandparents, so it was expected that Randle would return in a later film.
Then, surprisingly, in mid-2023 it was announced (via Variety ) that Tasha Smith would be taking on the role of Theresa in Bad Boys 4.
No reason was given for Randle’s replacement, and neither the actress nor her management released a statement. However, Randle has been seen very little in public, causing concerns about the actor’s health.
News of Theresa Randle’s recasting comes shortly after a video surfaced on social media of the actress sitting on a walker and wearing purple latex gloves in Los Angeles, California.
Randle’s appearance in the video prompted some fans to express concern for her health. However, a commenter who claimed to be at the scene when the video was filmed said the actress was sitting down due to a suspected broken thigh.
Randle’s former manager, Roger Neal, confirmed that the person in the video was indeed Randall, but he doesn’t think she looked “bad” based on the clip.
He also said he is no longer in touch with her because her phone and email details have changed and he also doesn’t know who represents her.
Recasting is not uncommon in Hollywood but is usually done as a result of major reasons, such as scheduling conflicts. Given that Randle has been off the screen for 14 years, only in 2020 for a role in Bad Boys: For Life, it seems safe to rule out commitments to another project as the reason here.
On the other hand, it could be that Randle has chosen not to return to the Bad Boys. Without an official statement from the actress or her management, it’s unlikely that the real reason for her re-casting will ever be revealed.