Arsenio Hall on the Inspiration for His Barber Character in "Coming to America"

Reporter: What about the barber? Was that the guy you used to see? Somebody you worked with? Hall: Oh yeah. The preacher was a combination of three different preachers all in my family, and the barber was a man that used to cut my hair when I was a kid, who used to – There was a barber shop where you could buy socks, and gold, and play the numbers, and all kinds of stuff. And this guy’s wife used to bring him food in a paper bag with foil over the plate, and all he did was ate and talk. “Yes, I love Muhammad Ali. He’s a talented man, talented man. But he shouldn’t have changed his name, ‘cause his mama named him Clay. Yeah, when I see him, I say Clay. Everybody be ‘Ali! Ali!’ I say, ‘Clay. Clay.’ ‘Cause your mama named you Clay.” And that’s all he did, was talk eat all day. Never cut anybody’s hair. I never saw him cut hair. I used to get the other guy, a Mr. Kelly to cut my hair. That guy always talked and ate.