Coming To America Every Character Eddie Murphy Played

Coming To America: Every Character Eddie Murphy Played

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How many characters does Eddie Murphy actually play in Coming to America? Here’s a complete breakdown of the comedian’s four unique roles.

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Coming To America Every Character Eddie Murphy Played

How many characters does Eddie Murphy actually play in Coming to America? When the film released in 1988, audiences had never seen the former Saturday Night Live star take on multiple roles within a single feature, though he would later portray seven different characters in the 1996 comedy The Nutty Professor. With Coming to America, Murphy displayed his comedic versatility by changing his appearance and transforming into several unique personas.

In Coming to America, the primary comedy derives from the fish-out-of-water premise. Unsatisfied with his romantic life in Africa, Prince Akeem Joffer (Murphy) relocates to the Queens borough of New York City and searches for love. But rather than living a luxurious lifestyle, Akeem and best friend Semmi (Arsenio Hall) pretend to be poor and land jobs at a fast-food chain called McDowell’s. The Prince learns about local culture and forms a strong friendship with his boss’ daughter, Lisa (Shari Headley). Because Coming to America is fundamentally a romantic comedy, Akeem naturally stumbles before finding common ground, and love, with Lisa.

Murphy is the shining star of Coming to America, but also secretly steals many scenes as wise-talkin’ barbershop characters, and even as the lead singer of infamous band called Sexual Chocolate. Overall, the film’s headliner portrays four different characters, the result of being inspired by Peter Sellers’ various comedic performances in the 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove. Here’s every role that Murphy takes on in Coming to America.

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Prince Akeem Joffer

Coming To America Every Character Eddie Murphy Played

Murphy plays it mostly straight as the protagonist Prince Akeem. Previously, he’d portrayed comic figures in 48 Hrs., Trading Places, and Beverly Hills Cop; characters who would punctuate scenes with one-liners. With Coming to America, Murphy dials it down a notch and focuses on the story of a man who wants to be recognized for his values rather than his wealth. The actor’s dry humor approach contrasts with the aggressive comedy of his other characters.

Randy Watson

Coming To America Every Character Eddie Murphy Played

Thirty-nine minutes into Coming to America, Akeem attends Black Awareness Week and catches a performance by Jackson Heights native Randy Watson. The character’s voice gives Murphy away as the singer, especially when he stumbles through a rendition of “The Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston. By the end, Randy screams out his band’s name, Sexual Chocolate, while Akeem and Semmi attempt to process what they just experienced.

Saul

Coming To America Every Character Eddie Murphy Played

Murphy also plays an elderly Jewish man named Saul in Coming to America. The character first appears at the 26-minute mark, and defends the boxers Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali during a barber ship conversation. Saul later calls Akeem “Kunta Kinte,” a reference to his African roots and the main character from Alex Haley’s 1976 novel Roots. Saul speaks declaratively in Coming to America and typically has the last word.

Clarence

In Coming to America, Murphy finally portrays a barber named Clarence. The character looks like an older version of Murphy, and speaks with a distinct high-pitched tone. Clarence likes to make boasts during barber shop conversations and often gets called out for exaggerating his life experiences or downright making up stories that seemingly improve his arguments. Early on in Coming to America, Clarence informs Akeem and Semmi that he’s headed to the Black Awareness rally for “prime” women.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/coming-america-eddie-murphy-characters/

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