Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks, how is this movie different from other buddy cop movies?
TM: The actors are different, although I didn’t set out to be different. My inspiration came from people like Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. The genre is what it is. My inspiration was drawn from great movies like 48 Hours, Bad Boys and Rush Hour. KW: Irene was also wondering whether you based your character, Paul Hodges, on anybody? TM: Yeah, man. I’m from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. So, you grow up around police officers. Some of them are in your family, some of them you have encounters with. I had a young police officer we were friends with in our group. He was a little older than me and he became a cop. So, I just channeled him. KW: I’m originally from Bed-Sty, too. You know where Medgar Evers College is, at the corner of Nostrand Avenue and President Street? TM: Are you serious? So, you going Downtown! You from Nostrand. I’m from Tompkins. So me and you come from the same ‘hood! KW: Yep! TM: That’s wassup! You said Medgar Evers, right? KW: Yeah, that’s where I went to high
