Long before he won his Academy Award, Cuba Gooding Jr. made his big screen debut when he played a small role in Coming to America. The 1988 comedy classic tells the story of an African prince who moves to the U.S. to find a queen who will love him for who he is and not his opulent wealth. Noted for launching the careers of several of its stars, Coming to America was yet another hit for Eddie Murphy, who was on a nearly unstoppable roll in the late '80s. Though it was a minor part in only one scene, Cuba Gooding Jr. left an indelible mark.
It wouldn't be long after his turn in Coming to America that Gooding would land some of the biggest roles of his career, and by the end of the 1990s, he would be an Oscar winner. Movies like Boyz n the Hood and Jerry Maguire would make him a bona fide star, and the latter earned him an Academy Award for Best ing Actor, but he showed his charisma when appearing in his lone Coming to America scene. Even among a cast of comedy legends like Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, Gooding managed to stand out.
Cuba Gooding Jr. Played Boy Getting Haircut In Coming To America
One of the selling points of Coming to America was that Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall played several memorable characters throughout the movie, including the bickering barbers Clarence and Morris who couldn't seem to agree on anything. The barbershop sequences were some of the funniest moments in Coming to America, and Cuba Gooding Jr. played a young man getting a haircut in the very first of these scenes. Though Gooding didn't have any lines in the scene, he nevertheless stood out by emoting along as the older men argued over which boxer was best.
While the scene itself is rather inconsequential to the story of Prince Akeem and his quest for love, it does help to establish the tone of the humor and allows Murphy and Hall to riff hilariously. The characters of Clarence and Morris returned throughout the film, and even appeared in Coming 2 America, the long-awaited sequel that released in 2021. Unfortunately, Gooding didn't return throughout the rest of the film, nor did his unnamed character make an appearance in the sequel.
Cuba Gooding Jr.'s Coming To America Part Was Originally Bigger
Though the part was essentially downgraded to extra status and didn't even have a name, Cuba Gooding Jr. has stated in interviews that his Coming to America role was actually much larger before the scene was trimmed down. When speaking with Arise Entertainment 360, Gooding recalled how his Coming to America scene originally ended, with him trying to hustle Clarence out of the haircut he had just received. While no evidence of the scene exists outside of Gooding's recollections, it certainly sounds like something that would have happened in the uproarious comedy.
Despite his appearance being only a bit part, Coming to America is ranked among Cuba Gooding Jr.'s best movies because of its legendary reputation as a comedy classic. Had Gooding's scene remained in the film in its original state, it most likely wouldn't have changed the story all that much because of its tangential nature. However, it would have certainly allowed the burgeoning movie star to show off his acting chops much sooner, and it might have even given him a chance to steal the show from his more seasoned co-stars.
