Cleo McDowell is Coming 2 America.
John Amos, who portrayed the character in the original Coming to America, has inked a deal to reprise the role in the upcoming sequel, according to Deadline.
Amos, 79, is the latest original cast member to join stars Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in the follow-up to the hit 1988 film. As previously reported, James Earl Jones and Paul Bates are also coming back. New cast members include Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, Kiki Layne, and rapper Rick Ross.
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The original film saw Murphy play Prince Akeem, a spoiled royal from the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who travels to Queens, New York, in search of a bride. With his man servant Semmi (Hall) by his side, they go undercover and work in an American fast food restaurant.
Amos’ Cleo is the father of Akeem’s love interest, Lisa McDowell, played by Shari Headley. So far there’s no word if Headley will be returning for the new film.
Fans may also remember Amos for his role as James Evans in the 1970s comedy Good Times. Since then, he’s had recurring roles on NBC’s The West Wing, ABC series Men in Trees, CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, Netflix series The Ranch, and he co-starred in the film, Madea’s Witness Protection.
Craig Brewer is directing Coming 2 America on a script written by Kenya Barris. The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on Dec. 18, 2020.
