10 things people may not know about the movie Coming to America

Who doesn’t remember the classic film “Coming to America”? The 1988 blockbuster comedy starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, John Amos, Shari Headley and several guest appearances was a huge success. It cost $36 million to produce, earned three times that amount and brought in over $288 million at the box office worldwide.

Murphy plays Prince Akeem from the African country of Zumunda. He has grown bored with his lavish lifestyle and as his 21st birthday approaches, he wants to be more independent. When his parents, King Jaffe and Queen Aoleon, give him an arranged bride, Akeem speaks out. He tells his parents that he could never be happy with a woman he doesn’t love and wants to go out on his own and find his wife.

So Akeem and his loyal helper/friend Semmi set out to find her in Queens, New York! They embark on a mission to live the “normal” life and find everything except… the hood. The film takes viewers on a wild and crazy journey as Akeem and Semmi find themselves in one hilarious situation after another. It’s one of those movies that you never get tired of watching. Although many of us can probably remember every scene, the film has an interesting backstory.

Here are 10 things people may not know about the movie Coming to America:

1.) THE FILM’S DIRECTOR, JOHN LANDIS, AND EDDIE MURPHY DID NOT GET TOGETHER WHEN THEY FIRST WORKED TOGETHER

John Landis had worked with Eddie Murphy on the hit comedy “Trading with Fortune.” At the time, he and Eddie did not get along, and Landis complained publicly that Eddie had a big ego. But five years later, they overcame their differences to make “Coming to America.” They would join forces to create more movie magic with Beverly Hills Cop III.

The film also featured two main characters from “Trading in Danger,” the rich brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke. The Dukes lost everything when they bet against Billy Ray Valentine. Trading venues and became homeless themselves. However, the impoverished brothers find salvation after receiving a sack full of money from Prince Akeem in “Coming to America.” In this scene, Randolph announces: “Mortimer, we’re back!”

2.) A filmmaker accused Paramount of stealing his idea

Shortly after the film’s premiere, filmmaker and screenwriter Art Buchwald accused Paramount Pictures of stealing the plot from a screenplay he had worked on in 1982. Buchwald sued Paramount and won! He received damages and then accepted a settlement with Paramount to avoid an appeal. To this day, Eddie Murphy is listed as the film’s sole screenwriter.

3.) It was the first film in which Murphy played multiple characters.

Coming to America starred Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem, beauty pageant singer Randy “Sexual Chocolate” Watson, Clarence the barber and Jewish barbershop customer Saul. Hall starred as Semmi and also spent hours in the makeup chair playing the honorable Reverend Brown, Morris the second barber and the masculine Mrs. Semmi and Akeem interviewed in the bar scene.

4.) The film almost became a television series

Murphy and Paramount Pictures wanted to make a spin-off of Coming to America, centered around Akeem’s younger brother Prince Tariq (played by Tommy Davidson), who is sent to America to study. They talked to CBS in the hope of turning the film into a weekly television series that would begin in 1989. Only a pilot episode was made, which was not well received, so the series was canceled.

5.) PAULA ABDUL DEVELOPED THE CHOREOGRAPHY FOR THE WEDDING IN ZAMUNDA

Legendary dance choreographer/singer/songwriter Paula Abdul already knew Murphy and Hall, a season ticket holder for the Lakers. She was only 18 years old, dancing with the Lakers and doing all the choreography for Janet Jackson. One day she got a call from Coming to America director John Landis, who wanted to meet Janet’s choreographer about a possible job for a scene in the film. Abdul recounted this in a 2019 interview with Yahoo!: “And I remember walking in very matter-of-factly with a briefcase that just had my Laker Girls taped numbers and Janet Jackson’s – a couple of her videos, that’s all. But I remember (thinking), ‘This could be really exciting.'”

6.) MCDOWELL’S WAS A WENDY’S, NOT A MCDONALD’S

Cleo McDowell, played by John Amos, had a restaurant that bore a striking resemblance to McDonald’s. This was of course intentional and was approved by the restaurant chain to be portrayed in the film. Ironically, filming for the McDowell’s restaurant took place in a real Wendy’s restaurant in New York on Queens Boulevard. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed in 2013 and the building was demolished to make way for a luxury apartment building.

7.) MURPHY AND HALL FAMILY MEMBERS APPEAR IN THE FILM
Murphy’s uncle, Ray Murphy Sr., played the drunk who fell down the stairs in the run-down apartment complex that Akeem and Semi moved into. Murphy and Hall’s brothers made cameos at the basketball game. Vondie Curtis-Hall and Vernon Lynch of Zamunda recognized Prince Akeem in line for the bathroom.

8.) Louie Anderson was given the task of appeasing the executives of Paramount Studios

Murphy and Hall said Paramount Pictures executives insisted that a white man be in the film. During an interview on the Today Show, Murphy said, “I was like, ‘Really?’ So I said, ‘Who’s the funniest white guy around and a friend of mine? Oh, Louie is perfect!’ And that’s how Louie got into the film.

9.) JAMES EARL JONES AND MADGE SINCLAIR GET THEIR ROLES IN THE LION KING FROM THE MOVIE

James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair played the roles of King Jaffe Joffer and Queen Aoleon in Zamunda with appropriate regality. Hollywood executives were so impressed with their characters that Jones and Sinclair were asked to work together again for the 1994 animated film, voicing the iconic roles of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi.

10.) The film was the film debut of four actors

• Cuba Gooding Jr. – The Barbershop Customer.
• Garcelle Beauvais – A rose bearer.
• Shari Headley – Lisa McDowell.
• Samuel L. Jackson – The McDowell Robber.