Coming to America

Year:

1988

Duration:

116 min

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

IMDB rate:

6.9

Director:

John Landis

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 1 nomination

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1988-06-29

Filming Locations: Big Sky Ranch - 4927 Bennett Road, Simi Valley, California, USA

Earnings

Budget: $39,000,000

Gross: $128,152,300 (USA)$288,800,000 (Worldwide)

Cast

Actor

Character

Raymond D. Turner

Eddie Murphy

Prince Akeem

Arsenio Hall

Semmi

James Earl Jones

King Jaffe Joffer

John Amos

Cleo McDowell

Madge Sinclair

Queen Aoleon

Shari Headley

Lisa McDowell

Paul Bates

Oha

Eriq La Salle

Darryl Jenks

Frankie Faison

Landlord

Vanessa Bell Calloway

Imani Izzi

Louie Anderson

Maurice

Allison Dean

Patrice McDowell

Sheila Johnson

Lady-in-Waiting

Jake Steinfeld

Cab Driver

Calvin Lockhart

Colonel Izzi

Samuel L. Jackson

Hold-Up Man

Feather

Rose Bearer

Stephanie Simon

Rose Bearer

Garcelle Beauvais

Rose Bearer

Vondie Curtis-Hall

Basketball Game Vendor

Elaine Kagan

Telegraph Lady

Don Ameche

Mortimer Duke

Ralph Bellamy

Randolph Duke

Clint Smith

Sweets

Victoria Dillard

Bather / Dancer

Felicia Taylor

Bather

Midori

Bather (as Michele Watley)

Billi Gordon

Large Woman

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Boy Getting Haircut

Uncle Ray Murphy

Stu

Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Street Hustler (as Ruben Hudson)

Paulette Banoza

Soul Glo Woman

Clyde Jones

Soul Glo Man (as Clyde R. Jones)

Patricia Matthews

Devil Woman

Mary Bond Davis

Big Stank Woman

Kara Young

Stuck-Up Girl

Karen Owens

Ex-Siamese Twin / Dancer (as Karen Renee Owens)

Sharon Owens

Ex-Siamese Twin / Dancer (as Sharon Renee Owens)

Lisa Gumora

Kinky Girl

June Boykins

Strange Woman

Janette Colon

Fresh Peaches

Vanessa Colon

Sugar Cube

Monique Mannen

Boring Girl / Dancer

Mindora Mimms

Awareness Woman

Cynthia Finkley

Awareness Woman

David Sosna

Cartier Delivery Man

Arthur Adams

Mr. Jenks

Loni Kaye Harkless

Mrs. Jenks

Montrose Hagins

Grandma Jenks

Tonja Rivers

Party Guest

Michael Tadross

Taxi Driver

Steve White

Subway Guy

Helen Hanft

Subway Lady

Birdie M. Hale

Elderly Passenger

Jim Abrahams

Face on Cutting Room Floor

Leah Aldridge

Dancer

Aurorah Allain

Dancer

Paula Brown

Dancer

Dwayne Chattman

Dancer

Stephanie Clark

Dancer

Robin Dimension

Dancer

Shaun Earl

Dancer

Carla Earle

Tough Girl, Death Row Inmate's Wife

Eric L. Ellis

Dancer

Sharon Ferrol-Young

Dancer

Eric D. Henderson

Dancer

Gigi Hunter

Dancer

Debra Johnson

Dancer

Tanya Lynne Lee

Dancer

Jimmy Locust

Dancer

Donna M. Perkins

Dancer

Dionne Rockhold

Dancer

Gina Consuela Rose

Dancer

Randolph Scott

Dancer

Robbin Tasha-Ford

Dancer

Jerald Vincent

Dancer

Eyan Williams

Dancer

Roy Milton Davis

Homeless Man Around Garbage Can Bonfire (uncredited)

Dorian DeMichele

Viola (uncredited)

Alison Gordy

Blond Hooker / Bag Lady in Fast Food Place (uncredited)

Vincent Harta

Shop Keeper (uncredited)

Ángel Ramírez

Subway Patron (uncredited)

Nick Savage

Toothbrusher (uncredited)

Scott Shepherd

Spectator (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

When King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones) visits New York to bring Akeem back home, he wears a lion skin sash. Years later Jones would portray the voice of the lion king Mufasa in Disney's The Lion King (1994). Madge Sinclair (Queen Aoleon) would also star alongside Jones in The Lion King as Mufasa's wife, the lioness queen Serabi.

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Arsenio Hall voiced the character Winston Zeddemore on 'The Real Ghostbusters (1986)(TV)', a role originally written in the film for Eddie Murphy.

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John Landis: [look to camera] When Patrice tells Daryl he needs to take off his wet clothes after he tells her that Lisa dumped him, he looks directly into the camera. Also, at the Mcdowells house whenCleo's daughter Patrice says "Why does she always get the good ones?", the dog does the same thing.

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Goofs

In the burger bar, the King's Aide throws the money on the counter and Mr. McDowell picks the note up to examine it. In the next shot, the note can still be seen on the counter and as the shot ends, a hand starts to reach for it (it appears that the order of the shots was reversed).

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At the wedding scene at the beginning of the movie, and when the camera pans down to the throne. A woman in double denim can be seen standing in the back next to a guard on the left side. This has to be a crew member since that the clothes she wearing does not match the rest of the guest, and the fact that she is standing very close to the royal family.

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The position of the microphone lying on the stage after Randy Watson drops it.

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Quotes

Cleo McDowell: Look... me and the McDonald's people got this little misunderstanding. See, they're McDonald's... I'm McDowell's. They got the Golden Arches, mine is the Golden Arcs. They got the Big Mac, I got the Big Mick. We both got two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, but their buns have sesame seeds. My buns have no seeds.

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Oha: [singing] She's your Queen-to-be. A Queen-to-be forever. A Queen who'll do whatever his highness desires. She's your Queen-to-be. A vision of perfection. An object of affection to quench your royal fire. Completely free from infection. To be used at your discretion. Waiting only for your direction. Your Queen-to-be.

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Big Stank Woman: [takes two shots in a row] See, that's the problem. I can't find a man that can satisfy me. Now some guys go an hour, hour in a half, that's it. A man's gotta put in overtime for me to get off.

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