You are more likely to remember him as King Jaffe Joffer, the Ruler of Zamunda, in the 1988 romance/comedy flick, Coming to America. James Earl Jones died 9 September 2024, aged 93.
Notable casts in Coming to America were –
Eddie Murphy as:
Prince Akeem Joffer, the Crown Prince of Zamunda
Randy Watson, a soul singer with the fictional band Sexual Chocolate.
Saul, a Jewish barbershop customer
Clarence, owner of the barber shop.
Arsenio Hall as:
Semmi, Akeem’s friend
Reverend Brown
Morris, a barber
Extremely Ugly Girl, an unattractive female clubgoer.
James Earl Jones as King Jaffe Joffer, Akeem’s father and King of Zamunda.
John Amos as Cleo McDowell, Akeem’s employer and Lisa’s father.
Madge Sinclair as Queen Aoleon Joffer, Akeem’s mother and the Queen of Zamunda.
Shari Headley as Lisa McDowell, Cleo’s older daughter and Akeem’s love interest.
Clint Smith as Sweets, a barber.
Paul Bates as Oha, a royal servant.
Eriq La Salle as Darryl Jenks, Lisa’s boyfriend whom she eventually breaks up with.
Frankie Faison as the landlord who manages the apartment building where Akeem and Semmi live.
Vanessa Bell as Imani Izzi, betrothed as Akeem’s intended wife.
Louie Anderson as Maurice, a McDowell’s employee.
Allison Dean as Patrice McDowell, Cleo’s younger daughter and Lisa’s sister.
Sheila Johnson as a lady-in-waiting.
Jake Steinfeld as a cab driver.
Calvin Lockhart as Colonel Izzi, Imani’s father
Samuel L. Jackson as the Hold-Up Man, an armed robber at McDowell’s who held it up five times.
The film was a box office hit reportedly grossing over $350 million globally on its $60 million budget, according to the Los Angeles Times of 30 August 1992.
Adieu, King Jaffe Joffer, the Ruler of Zamunda.
May the Almighty grant him rest.
