New Bedford Native Lands a Role in ‘Bad Boys 4′

Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the fourth installment of the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led franchise, pulled in $104.6 million for its worldwide opening weekend, proving that people can’t get enough of Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett.

For Bad Boys 4, a new face graced the big screen.

New Bedford native Alex Joseph Pires has been cutting his teeth in entertainment for nearly 15 years, and his recent gig finds him rubbing elbows with Smith and Lawrence, playing a paramedic.

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Who Is Alex Joseph Pires?

“I was always a little ham,” Pires said of his acting journey.

Since he was little, Pires loved to make people laugh and loved to perform.

A member of the choir and theater group at New Bedford High School and a member of the UMass Dartmouth Upward Bound Program, this actor was almost in the medical field.

“I got accepted to Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and I went for the physician assistant program,” he said. “I immediately learned it wasn’t my path. I just knew it wasn’t for me.”

Pires’ heart was meant for the stage. He decided to bet on himself and jumped into entertainment by moving to New York followed by Los Angeles.

Pires became a creative producer while his acting career unfolded, and he is the proud creator of Escape the Box Productions.

One of the most memorable moments of his career thus far, however, is the moment he realized he would be in Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

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New Bedford Native Lands Role in Bad Boys 4

While on the set of another project in Vermont, Pires got a call from his agent.

“I get an email saying I have an audition for this random movie and I’ll be playing a paramedic,” he said.

There were no details, but he sent in an audition anyway. It wasn’t until he got a follow-up call from his agent that he found out the part was for Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

“It was surreal,” he said. “(Smith and Lawrence) are personal icons. ... Everyone was fantastic, including (producer) Jerry Bruckheimer.”

While Pires was in just one scene of the film, it was enough to get the full treatment from the production team.

“I had my own trailer, my own assistant, I had my own stand-in. ... I get brought over to hair and makeup and Vanessa Hudgens is getting her makeup done next to me. It was surreal,” he said.

Meeting the two main stars is a moment Pires will never forget.

“I don’t normally get star-struck, but I had no chill, I was all smiles,” he said.

Pires shared that Smith and Lawrence were gracious, welcoming and all-around cool.

“(The experience) was incredibly encouraging and has filled me with additional hope that I can take this and use it as momentum for more opportunities,” he said.

Being from New Bedford, Pires aims to be an example for the city and show that it’s possible to achieve greatness, no matter where your journey started.

“Best-case scenario, I get to be New Bedford’s golden child,” he said.

Keep an eye out for Pires in the brand-new Bad Boys: Ride or Die, now in theaters.