Coming 2 America director Craig Brewer says South Africa’s very own actress Nomzamo Mbatha brings “this energy of love” to the film, premiering on Amazon on March 5!
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“This film felt like my own personal coming to America story. I was surrounded by Hollywood royalty every day,” says Nomzamo Mbatha as quoted by the Hollywood Reporter.
The publication further reports that while there is no African country of Zamunda, from which Coming to America‘s Prince Akeem hails, the movie had an impact on the continent when it was released in 1988 — particularly in South Africa, home to Nomzamo Mbatha, who makes her big studio debut in the sequel, premiering on Amazon on March 5.
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“She was this symphony when she walked onto set,” says Coming 2 America director Craig Brewer – as quoted by Hollywood Reporter. “She brought this energy of love, and, being one of the few people in the movie who lives in Africa, she provided this authenticity.”
Nomzamo Mbatha further says that Coming 2 America: “This film felt like my own personal coming to America story. I was surrounded by Hollywood royalty every day. [Castmember] Tracy Morgan would come through with his JBL Boombox, playing old-school R&B, and it’d be this, like, celebration of Black culture. And, suddenly, Leslie Jones is dancing and they’re reenacting how people used to do it: ‘Ya know, when they’d hit that bass?'”
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Nomzamo Mbatha told the publication that, when she got the call about Coming 2 America, the actress was in Abu Dhabi wrapping up a business trip. The next morning she made the two-hour drive to Dubai and hopped on a flight to Los Angeles. After reading for the part, she turned right around and flew home, heading straight into rehearsals for an event in Sun City. “There were callbacks, a lot of callbacks, sending in tapes,” she says of the eight-week-long audition process. “But I threw myself into preparing for the part. I always believed the role was mine.” Adds the actress, “People ask, ‘When do you sleep?’ and I always say, ‘On the plane.'”
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Watch Below BBC Interview with Nomzamo Mbatha:
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