Arsenio Hall Explains the On-Set Clash That Nearly Canceled 'Coming to America'

From 1989 to 1994, legendary comedian Arsenio Hall dominated late-night television with the immensely popular The Arsenio Hall Show. Viewers tuned in nightly to see Hall interview some of the era's biggest stars, such as Prince, Madonna, and Michael Jordan.

The 70-year-old entertainment veteran appeared on Good Morning America on March 31 to discuss his upcoming memoir, Arsenio: A Memoir. In the interview, Hall revealed that the 1988 cult-classic comedy Coming to America was nearly axed before production even began.

Why Did Coming to America Nearly Never Happen?

Hall explained that he received a call from Paramount Studios because director John Landis and comedic icon Eddie Murphy had a falling out out. An executive from Paramount suggested that Hall talk to Murphy. It was this intervention, he said, that allowed cooler heads to prevail.

The actor commented that his current age would free him from the obligation of one task should a third Coming to America film be produced (Coming toAmerica 2 was released in 2021).

“I just turned 70, and I was telling my woman the other day [that] if we do another Coming To America, I won’t need makeup for the barbers.”

In the film, Hall took on multiple roles, including Semmi, who was Prince Akeem's (Eddie Murphy) best friend and assistant, and the Extremely Ugly Girl. He also portrayed Reverend Brown, a character he mentioned has influenced his current gait due to his age, as well as Morris the Barber.

Arsenio Hall Recalls Hosting Late Night Show

Earlier in the interview, Hall said he didn’t know he was making history with The Arsenio Hall Show.

“I remember a talent coordinator walking in and saying Bill Clinton saying yes,” he explained. “At that time, it’s a governor saying okay, and you don’t realize in that moment, this is going to change how you run for the highest office in the land.

“I grew up watching people on Sunday morning talk about politics. And so things like that, you couldn’t have known what they were going to do. Having him behind me with a saxophone when they said he’s going to bring his saxophone.”

Towards the end of the conversation, he talked about being a father and what that means to him. 

“He’s just turned 26,” Hall told host Robin Roberts. “The irony [is] I’m writing this book and one day he comes to me and says, ‘Dad, me and my group are going to start to put bookstores in the inner city,’ and he’s starting with Leimert Park in Los Angeles, and I think that’s such a great thing. The synchronicity of that [is], ‘Well, here’s a book for your store.’

Hall said he was motivated by his son to complete his autobiography.

“I wrote it for him because there are a lot of things when you’re in this business that exists and they’re rumors, and they start to become commonplace,” he explained. “The bottom line is, I wanted to straighten a lot of things out and say who I am.”

He says the book is “truth and a little humor” and “even if you can’t read, there are a lot of pictures.”

Arsenio: A Memoir is available at all book retailers.