Vince Vaughn first met Bill Lawrence more than 25 years ago, so when the role came up for the police comedy “Bad Monkey,” the actor jumped at the chance to finally work together.
“We laughed a lot,” Vaughn said. diverse On the series' premiere on Apple TV+ Monday night, Vaughn added, “He has really good ideas. He's open to ideas. It was easy.”
It’s no surprise that things have gone so well, as Lawrence is used to working with friends and family. “It’s so much fun to work with people you want to hang out with,” he said, as his daughter, singer-songwriter Charlotte Lawrence, walked past him on the sandy carpet outside the Hammer Museum in Westwood.
Lawrence was initially apprehensive about casting her in the show, even though he knew she had the necessary qualifications.
“She’s a very confident young woman, but then I started to panic and I was like, ‘If I put her in this situation…’” he explained. “Social media is hard; it’s tricky. But she’s handled it so much and with an open heart. And I mean, she was good. She was amazing. I would do it again. I’ll tell you this — if you ever get to a point in any job where you can hire your friends or your family, do it right away.”
Lawrence also reunited with his Scrubs co-star Zach Braff on the new series. “I didn’t even cast him,” the creator recalled. “I just said, ‘Man, do you want to play a doctor again, but this time it’s darker?’ And he said, ‘Okay.’ I was so lonely in Florida, and it was great to have him.”
Bill Lawrence and the cast of “Bad Ape” (L-R): L. Scott Caldwell, Alex Moffat, Charlotte Lawrence, Natalie Martinez, Vince Vaughn, Meredith Hagner, Michelle Monaghan, Zach Braff, Rob Delaney and Ronald Peet.
Eric Charbonneau for Apple TV+
The film follows Andrew Yancey (Vaughn), who has been fired from the Miami Police Department and becomes a health inspector in the Florida Keys. When tourists fish a human arm out of the water, Yancey realizes that by solving this murder, he may find his way back to the police force.
The Apple TV+ show is based on Carl Hiaasen’s novel of the same name, which piqued Vaughn’s interest because of its unconventional tone. “I was really looking for something that had fun characters, had great twists and turns, and that would get people to go through these experiences,” he explained.
Natalie Martinez, who plays Yancy's former police colleague, joined the project because she has admired Vaughn for many years. “He's definitely one of our living legends in the genre. He's so good at what he does. And the fact that I'm able to go head-to-head with him is a real honor,” Martinez said.
The role also provided her with an exciting opportunity to showcase her Cuban-American heritage and South Florida roots.
“I was able to really use my accent, and use a lot of things that are true to me, that I usually have to suppress, or hide a little bit, or just change because the roles don’t call for it,” Martinez said. “I was really excited to play someone who is so close to home. I relate a lot to Cuban culture, but I wasn’t born there. I feel like we need a voice, too.”
The first two episodes (out of 10) of “Bad Monkey” begin streaming on Apple TV+ on August 14, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through October 9.
