Coming 2 America reveals a few new details about Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) after the first movie. A big part of what made Coming to America such a memorable film is Murphy’s performance as Akeem, the unassuming, polite, and lighthearted prince of the fictional Zamunda. There is nothing he was not willing to do to find true love and this endeared Akeem to fans. His quest landed him in some comedic and rather sticky situations, but he was always sincere about who he was deep down.
While Coming to America centers Akeem in his quest to find, fall in love with, and marry the woman of his dreams (Lisa, played by Shari Headley) who would rule alongside him in his home country of Zamunda, the sequel shifts most of its focus to Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler), the son he never knew he had. Of course, Akeem has his own growing pains to deal with aside from his son, a father he still wants to please, a country to rule, and a neighboring country whose leader wants Akeem's daughter to marry his son. And so, the decades have not been all fun and games for Akeem, either.
Despite the sequel primarily centering Lavelle’s journey, the film offers new insight into Akeem in the three decades since the end of the first movie wrapped with a fairytale-style ending. Here’s what Coming 2 America reveals about Akeem.
Akeem Never Returned To Queens After Getting Married
Prince Akeem was living comfortably in Zamunda for over thirty years. However, once it’s revealed he has a son, courtesy of a one-night stand with a woman named Mary Junson (Leslie Jones), Akeem quickly returns to New York to meet Lavelle and bring him home to Zamunda. Coming 2 America confirms that neither Akeem or Semmi have been back to visit Queens since their first trip in the 80s. They are delighted to discover that not too much has changed and that even the barber shop the pair frequented during their first visit is still there. It makes sense that they wouldn’t go back, however, especially since Akeem and Lisa were busy raising their three daughters. Even Lisa’s dad opened a McDowell’s restaurant in Zamunda and relocated permanently.
Akeem Slept With Someone Before Lisa
Coming 2 America reveals the crown prince of Zamunda did actually have sex with someone before Lisa McDowell came into the picture. Granted, it was right before he met his wife, but the sequel retcons the original by revealing that he wasn’t a virgin before marrying her (much to his chagrin). The film goes on to reveal that Akeem and Semmi spent several nights hanging out in bars and clubs before Semmi asked two women, one of whom was Mary, to come back to his and Akeem’s motel room. That was the night Akeem actually lost his virginity and conceived Lavelle.
Prince Akeem Lost The Spark He Had In First Film
Several characters comment on the fact that Akeem is not the jovial, courageous man he once was. Mirembe, the royal hair stylist, tells Lavelle the story of how Akeem once left Zamunda for New York to follow his own path. She says everyone in the country admired and loved that version of Akeem, a version that seems to have faded over time. However, Coming 2 America reveals that he is no longer that man and, in many ways, became more like his father in pushing both his children — eldest daughter Meeka (KiKi Layne) and Lavelle — into marriages and lives they clearly didn’t want. When he discovers he’s lost his spirit and bravery, Akeem remembers the words of his mother and how she encouraged him to do what he felt was right. He works to rekindle the spark of his youth and ultimately remembers what’s important by guiding others to also follow their hearts.