Arsenio Hall Writes Moving Tribute to His Late “Coming to America” Costars James Earl Jones and John Amos

Hall said he never heard anyone call Jones "an a------"

Arsenio Hall is tipping his hat to two important actors.

In an article published by News One on Friday, Oct. 4, Hall, 68, wrote a moving essay dedicated to his late Coming to America costars James Earl Jones, who died in September at 93, and John Amos, who died in August at 84.

"In all the years I’ve called Hollywood home, I have never once heard anyone say, 'James Earl Jones is an a------,' " Hall began his tribute. "That is a rarity in a town where friends and enemies too often wear the same faces."

Hall recalled how when filming the 2021 sequel to Coming to America — aptly titled Coming 2 America — Jones wasn't up for traveling and shot his scenes from New York while the rest of the cast was in Atlanta.

But when working on the original 1988 movie, Hall always asked Jones for advice. "Before a scene or during hair and makeup, I might turn to him and ask, 'How do I approach this one?' " he wrote.

Related: Why Was John Amos Fired from Good Times? The Late Actor Spoke About His Shocking Exit in a 2020 Interview

"As a young performer — a young Black performer — being able to ask [Jones] for acting advice was a gift I have never taken for granted," Hall continued. "His wisdom fueled me; his generational talent both intimidated and inspired me."

Hall recalled seeing Jones perform in August Wilson's Fences and being blown away by one scene where Jones becomes so emotional that "snot comes out of his nose and he wipes it away with the back of his hand." After the show, the Lion King actor joked that it was "method snotting."

The former talk show host said that his one regret about Coming 2 America was that he wasn't able to spend time with Jones — though he was happy to keep company with Amos. "But, oh, what a time it was," Hall wrote.

In his tribute piece, he described Amos as a "human ray of sunshine." While on set for Coming 2 America, the actor "could not wait to have a scene" with Amos "just to see his face."

Related: James Earl Jones Remembered by the Broadway Community: 'The Greatest of the Greats' (Exclusive)

"He was a special guy, magnetic in his ability to pull one close to him with no effort at all. If he was in the room, I instinctively knew I needed to be there, too," he continued, noting that Amos "hummed with intelligence, integrity and brilliance" that was hard to find.

Hall also wrote about Amos' role in the 1970s TV series Good Times as James Evans. "James Evans gave us an intimate look into the world of a working-class Black man just trying to make it," he said.

"We watched him struggle in a racist society that did not know what to do with a free Black man other than try to kill him or beat him down — even if in spirit only," he wrote of Amos' performance.

Hall said that while working on Coming 2 America, Amos' health began to deteriorate, but he was able to sit with him between takes or at premieres. "Those quiet moments I spent just walking with him and helping him to the set I will cherish for the rest of my life," he noted.

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The late Jones and Amos taught Hall "by example how to be an unselfish performer," he wrote, explaining, "They helped me understand that when you’re kind to the people around you, then you’re kind to your own performance."

"We, those who love them, must water their flowers so that generations to come may know their beauty," Hall concluded his moving tribute to his former costars. "In front of the camera and off the set, John Amos and James Earl Jones were amazing men; they were kind men; they were good men. And ain’t we lucky we had ‘em."

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