The Jewish man sitting in the barbershop (which was Murphy) called Akeem “Kunta Kinte”, a reference to the groundbreaking miniseries “Roots,” one of the highest-rated in television history. John Amos, who played Cleo McDowell (Lisa’s father) in Coming to America, also played the adult Kunta Kinte in “Roots.” Madge Sinclair, who played Queen Aoleon, played Kunta Kinte’s wife and James Earl Jones, who was King Jaffe Joffer played Alex Haley Jr. in “Roots: The Next Generation.”
