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Arsenio Hall Saved 'Coming to America' from Collapse
6 Apr
Summary
- Arsenio Hall brokered peace between Eddie Murphy and director John Landis.
- Landis threatened to quit the film after a heated altercation with Murphy.
- Murphy's first-ever alcohol experience was with Hall to calm down.
The making of the classic film 'Coming to America' was reportedly fraught with tension between star Eddie Murphy and director John Landis. Arsenio Hall recently shared that he served as a peacemaker during a significant dispute between the two. Landis had faced difficulties finding work after a fatal accident on the set of 'Twilight Zone: The Movie', and Murphy had advocated for him to direct 'Coming to America'.
The conflict between Murphy and Landis became so severe that Landis reportedly decided to quit the production entirely. According to Hall, he was enlisted by the studio president to help resolve the situation. To try and de-escalate the tension with Murphy, Hall offered him both alcohol and marijuana, though Murphy did not typically partake in either.
Murphy confirmed that this encounter led to him consuming alcohol for the first time in his life. He reportedly had more than one drink, which resulted in him becoming extremely ill and subsequently vowing never to drink again. Following this experience, Murphy expressed a renewed determination to get the movie back on track, and ultimately, he and Landis managed to put their differences aside to complete 'Coming to America'. The duo would later collaborate again on 'Beverly Hills Cop III'.
