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I'm sure all of you know that Akeem's father was played by James Earl Jones, who did the voice of Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" trilogy. Madge Sinclair played the Queen of Zamunda. Did you know that they also played King and Queen as Mufasa and Sarabi in Disney's THE LION KING! Two King/Queen roles in an African setting :)  -Thanks to Jesse CardenasAkeem's mother (the Queen), actress Madge Sinclair also appeared in the TV mini-series "Roots". She played Kunta's (Toby's) wife (I think her character's name was " -Thanks to Nate StoneShari Headley (Lisa McDowell) was married for two years to Christopher "Kid" Martin one of the members of the successful 80's rap duo Kid 'N Play. Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, "Fancy" from the Jamie Foxx Show, is one of the rose bearers. -Thanks to SeanIn a recent interview, Eddie Murphy stated that some critics found no comedic significance in the barbershop scenes, not realizing that three out of the four characters were played by Murphy and Arsenio Hall. Cuba Gooding, Jr. makes a very early career appearance in the first barber shop scene getting his hair cut. Eddie's brother is also is the movie. The scene where Curits Vonde-Hall is so happy to see Eddie. The man who looks quite puzzled is Eddie's brother. -Thanks to Tina HarrisFuture Jedi Samuel L. Jackson brilliantly plays the armed robber who holds up McDowells Restaurant!! "Don't stall me, fat boy!" Jackson is a long time friend of Eddie Murphy and was making one of his first big screen appearances. The Cab Driver who gives Eddie and Arsenio the bird before taking them to Queens is Jake of "Body by Jake" exercise video fame. -Thanks to MikeLouie Anderson played one of the employees at McDowells Restaurant. He was in the robbery scene and later in movie he tells Akeem and Semi how he plans to move up to manager in 2 years. -Thanks to Lisa AtleyIn Lisa's office, behind the door, there is a picture of director Spike Lee and his sister Joie Lee. Lee is an acclaimed director of influential African-American 80's films such as "Do the Right Thing" and "School Daze" The bum tenant that falls down the steps in Akeem and Semi's apartment complex is actually Eddie Murphy's uncle, Ray Murphy. John Amos (Cleo McDowell) played the father on the African-American 70's sitcom "Good Times". He later co-starred as a major in "Die Hard 2: Die Harder" with Bruce Willis and as tough, but honest, head of the guard in Stallone's "Lock-Up". -Thanks to Mark CorningShari Headley was in the Blackstreet video "Before I Let You Go (Can I Get A Kiss Goodnight)" -Thanks to CROne of the topless 'bathers' (the one who emerges from the water in front of Murphy to announce that "the royal p***s is clean", is Victoria Dillard, who played Janelle Cooper on TV's "Spin City". She was on the show from 1996-2000. -Thanks to Matthew J BevisVictoria Dillard, the royal bather, was also in "Deep Cover" with Laurence Fishburne. -Thanks to Kimberly WhiteheadIn the scene where Akeem gives the bag of money to the two homeless men, those guys are, of course, Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy, the ex-filthy rich brothers from "Trading Places", also starring Eddie Murphy. That’s why one of the brothers says: Wake up, where in business again. Actress Shari Headley (Lisa McDowell) guest-stared on ABC-TV's daytime drama, "All My Children" as police detective, Mimi Frye. -Thanks to AmyIn the railroad scene when Akeem searches for Lisa, a large "Fences" poster from August Wilson's Pulitzer-Prize winning broadway play, can be seen on the wall in the background. Eddie Murphy had a strong desire to play the role of the son in this father/son drama, but he's much too old for the part now. -Thanks to Dr. Kimberly EllisRapper Busta Rhymes used Coming to America as a premise to his "Put your Hands Where my Eyes Can See" Video. Arsenio Hall's brother, Curtis Vonde-Hall, is the overzealous Zamunda native that they meet at the basketball game. Since Coming to America, Arsenio Hall has only been in one other well known movie, "Harlem Nights" also with Eddie Murphy... -Thanks to Jon ChristensenOne of the girls they talk to in the bar, the one who says something, then says "him too" referring to Arsenio Hall's character, actually is Arsenio Hall. A girl hitting on her male counterpart! -Thanks to Kevin AllustiartiThere is a well judged crossover cameo by Mortimer and Randolph Duke from another Murphy hit, "Trading Places." The Lady that was supposed to marry Eddie Murphy was Vanessa Bell Calloway; she was the mother in Biker Boyz, and was a host on a Talk show on BET called "Oh Drama", and many other things. Eriq LaSalle's grandmother is the grandma to Lee Thompson Young on the disney series Jett Jackson. -Thanks to Brandi GravesOne of our favorite E.R. doctors (Dr. Peter Benton) plays Lisa's boyfriend, Eriq La Salle. -Thanks to Lisa Atley« Click here to add some Coming to America trivia Rediscover your favorites! If you like Coming to America or 80's Comedy classics, then be sure to check out this list: ..... Tootsie ..... Raising Arizona ..... Good Morning, Vietnam ..... Blues Brothers ..... Heathers ..... Fast Times At Ridgemont High ..... This Is Spinal Tap ..... Naked Gun ..... Adventures In Babysitting ..... Airplane ..... License To Drive ..... Money Pit ..... Porky's ..... Risky Business ..... Twins ..... Soul Man .....[More] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Featured Movie Location: McDowells RestaurantWanna see the real life filming location used for McDowells Restaurant in the movie? These scenes were actually shot at Wendy's Restaurant, located in Elmhurst, New York. [New! Show Google Map] The Wendy's is at 85-07 Queens Blvd - they announce it in once scene, and if you look up "Wendy's, Elmhurst, NY" lo and behold the address is the same! [Thanks to Nate] The apartment building is on Hooper St. and S5th. St. Williamsburg, Brooklyn and is also where the barber shop was located. [Thanks to Scotty]. You can see the sign in the scene when they first arrive and are looking at the garbage in the street. (DVD - freeze frame it!) The McDowell's house was in Jamaica, Queens. In Jamaica Estates. Exact address anyone? [Thanks to Devin] The subway station used in the movie is the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets station in Brooklyn. [Thanks to Josh] Other places like the Madison Square Garden and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (301 Park Avenue) were also used. [Thanks to Benjamin Moutte] Was the Plaza Hotel the location for the Wedding or is this where Eddie Murphy's real life wedding took place? According to some minimal research I am finding that a major wedding event took place at the Plaza and it looks just like the scene from Coming to America (type in "Eddie Murphy's Wedding" in the search engine). I understand that the Waldorf Astoria is where Murphy's father's character stayed when he arrived in NYC from Africa. [Thanks to Tasha] Can you help? Do you know any of the New York (or any other) filming locations used for Coming to America, particularly the McDowells house, the Queens apartment building that Akeem and Semi stayed in? [Please send them in] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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A soundtrack was released for the movie with many of the rap songs from the movie. Be warned though, like so many soundtrack CD's it didn't include any of the instrumental music composed by Nile Rodgers. We get a lot of enquiries about the instrumental music from the opening scenes, through Akeem's arrival in queens through to the wedding ceremony. As far as we know it has never been released on any format. The non instrumental soundtrack is very hard to find. Use our search feature top locate a copy. The opening credits music sequence is by South African Accapella Group "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" who were featured a few years earlier on Paul Simons 1986 "Graceland" Album on hits such as "Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes", "Homeless", etc....The song was a acapella version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". -Thanks to Big KevArista-signed female vocal group Expose recorded their hit song, "What You Don't Know" for the movie "Coming to America" in 1988, but their management held off including it in the movie for fear the group would be overexposed at the time. It was later released in 1989 on the LP of the same name. (They had racked up 4 consecutive Top 10 hits.) -Thanks to AmyThe song that is playing at the beginning of the New York club sequence is a song called, "I Got It," performed by Eddie Murphy. The incidental music running as the king is driven through New York to find Akeem is featured in drumline played by the A&T drumline. The track is called 'King's motorcade'. -Thanks to Roger Morgan« Click here to add new music trivia for Coming to America Soundtrack Available: Used On CD | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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"This summer Prince Akeem discovers America"
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