EXCLUSIVE: Louie Anderson, Paul Bates, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Garcelle Beauvais & John Amos Talk Coming 2 America
Coming 2 America will be released to theaters and Amazon Prime Video this coming Friday, March 5, and Louie Anderson, Paul Bates, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Garcelle Beauvais and John Amos opened up about returning for the new movie.
The group chatted the legacy of Coming to America, their roles in the original movie, working with Eddie Murphy and so much more. You can check out what they had to say below.
Amos on the legacy of Coming to America and Eddie Murphy:
“My opinions of Coming to America, the original, have been echoed by so many people, it was an incredible experience. The choreography, the costumes, the script, and of course, the fact that you had Eddie Murphy, who for my money is a consummate actor, comedian. It all came together in a wondrous way and quite frankly, I’m doubtful that we’ll be able to repeat that success to that degree. But then again with Eddie, we might even do better. I don’t know how it’s possible. I don’t know how any actor can mention his name without realizing that this is a genius. This is a master of comedy, drama, the whole nine yards, those transitions that he makes between characters from film to film are just astounding. And quite frankly, I’m in awe of the man. I have great hopes for Coming 2 America. I’m excited for Eddie and I’m looking forward to it.”
Bell Calloway on if people still quote her first movie catchphrases to her:
“If I had a nickel for every time somebody came up to me and said, ‘Whatever you like’ or “Bark and hop like a dog”, I’d be a very rich woman. But it’s the gift that keeps giving because I didn’t have children. I got married the year that Coming to America came out. It came out in June and I got married that September so my 30 year old and my 26 year old weren’t in existence yet. So, I was able to get a whole new generation of fans just from that movie alone. It’s always been, to me, the gift that keeps giving. And who knew that I would have a phrase that would be coined by everybody. I get pictures of people dressed up like me for Halloween, weddings and birthday party, it’s amazing. You just never know where something’s going to lead you so it’s been a great blessing.”
You can read the rest of what they had to say about Coming 2 America below the jump. Make sure to check out the movie when it is released on Friday.
Beauvais on if people still come up to her about playing the flower bearer in the first movie:
“I don’t think I will ever live this down. This was historic and I don’t know if anybody knew, but I had auditioned for Shari Headley’s character, which I had no business doing. I was so green. I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know mark, I didn’t know rolling, action, I didn’t know any of that so to even be in the movie was truly a gift from God. I was just so happy that I was on a set with so many black people and all the women were gorgeous. Everywhere you looked, there was a beautiful girl. I had no idea that it was going to turn out to be what it turned out to be and what a blessing for all of us, but truly for me, because I didn’t know anything. I was just a little baby.”
Anderson on the Coming to America pop-up in La Brea, CA:
“I went there and got a picture with a couple of people and they did a great job. Llike I said, ‘If you’re going to do something, this is what to do.” They were all dressed up as a character. I think that this movie brought so much joy ato all of us, I know for me, but I’m not trying to speak for everybody. I think everybody feels the same way. We did the first one and for 30 years we’ve been asking about doing the second one, are we going to do it? This thing is alive and I think people are really anxious and are really going to love it. And anybody who doesn’t like it, well, they’re those people who don’t like anything.”
Beauvais and Bates on shooting at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta:
Beauvais: “When production picks you up to take you from the hotel to the set, and being on the highway and seeing the exit sign that says Tyler Perry Studios was really… It just caught me off guard and it was bigger than I ever thought. And to be in a studio where a black man owns, and we are now providing content to that, it’s everything. It’s exceptional. It just shows where we been and now where we are. It was really tremendous.”
Bates: “To be there in person and see it is something else entirely. To walk out of your soundstage, to the Harry Belafonte, and to see the Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis soundstage over there, and the Sydney Poitier is down there, and the Whoopie Goldberg is down there. You say, this is not what it used to be. This is the new world, and this is good.”
Bell Calloway on where we find Imani Izzi in the new movie:
“My character, I think she still had a few issues. And her brother came to her defense, who is now Wesley Snipes, who we know. So she still has a few issues, but at the end of the movie you see that she finally probably got over it. But no, her growth and development was a little stagnant compared to some of the other characters, because she was caught in a time warp because she still felt like she was wronged. And she was, to a degree.”
Anderson on where we find his character in Coming 2 America:
“He has made some strides. I don’t want to ruin it for everybody, but let’s just say he is not washing lettuce anymore.”
Anderson on returning to the series:
“The great thing is, is that when I walked onto that set then and now, both times I felt so welcome and so excited because it was really my first thing. And I went, ‘Wow, this is the most fantastic thing on so many levels’. I would say any day I’m out in public somebody brings it up, it’s a fun thing and I’m honored. Everybody is so great in the movie once again. I think they did a beautiful job at capturing what’s going on.”
Amos on working with Eddie Murphy:
Amos: “To work with Eddie is easy, because he’s always on point. He seems to know intuitively exactly where you’re going with your character and he goes along with you. In those moments, he lets you know that you’ve been given the freedom to do with this dialogue and with this character what you’d like to do. That in itself was a blessing.
But that’s the gift of being an Eddie Murphy. He seems to know exactly how a scene should be played out in advance of any rehearsal or anything else, so I enjoyed it. To say I enjoyed it, that’s an understatement. I mean, I look forward to it. I probably had crevices in my face from smiling and laughing so much. But in the serious moments that we had, the few very serious moments, we got them through like a trooper, like a Shakespearean trained doctor. He’s quite a talent.”
Bates and Bauvais on the final scene and Ruth Carter’s [Costume Designer] designs for it:
Paul Bates: “Ruth Carter is a genius and she made me look good.”
Beauvais:
“I’m going to echo what Paul said about Ruth Carter. The fact that everybody looks so regal, so beautiful, and so different was a feat. What I loved about her, not only did she put these costumes together, she also pulled from different designers so it wasn’t just about her. And she gave people credit. She was just brilliant. It was just the party of all parties.”