INTERVIEW: Wesley Snipes Talks ‘Coming 2 America,’ His Role as General Izzi, Working With Eddie Murphy, His Legendary Career, and Surprises Us With a Little Bit of ‘Noxeema’

Wesley Snipes is an acting legend and producer in his own right; best known for Blade, New Jack City, where he played the infamous Nino Brown, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, and White Men Can’t Jump starring opposite Woody Harrelson. Snipes has donned some of the most iconic roles and movies that have stayed a permanent fixture on must-see movie lists. Now he’s back as General Izzi in Amazon Studios’ Coming 2 America.

Coming 2 America’s story is back after a 30-year gap from its prequel, with a star-studded cast including Eddie Murphy (King Akeem) and Arsenio Hall (Semmi), who are on a mission and heading back to America to find the son that Akeem never knew he had played by Jermaine Fowler. The film includes other legends such as Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, and Louie Anderson. The film also dons some serious ‘Black girl magic,’ including a powerful female cast with Shari Headley, Kiki Layne, Garcelle Beauvais, and Teyana Taylor.

Snipes commented on his favorite part of the original Coming To America, stating, “I have to admit that in the original, I was most impressed and most delighted by the opening sequences of the African dance scenes, or the African dancers. Yeah, their opening….that big pomp and circumstance and regalia, I love that. That stood out the most to me.”

We spoke with Wesley all about his new role, his long and legendary career, what he loved most about the film, the importance of representation, how he stays healthy and fit, along with a surprise special appearance by Noxeema. Yes, Noxeema entered the building! Read on for more or watch the full-length interview on Glitter Magazine’s YouTube below.

GLITTER: Congrats on another great film. 
WESLEY:  Wonderful, wonderful. Congrats to us, all of us. You know, we need some happiness.  

GLITTER: Yes, absolutely. I just want to take a minute to honor your past film work from Mo Better Blues and New Jack City to Sugar Hill. You are a legend, and you’ve transformed so many lives. So, I just want to thank you for that and for giving us time today.  

GLITTER:  I want to jump into General Izzi and all of his flavor, and his taunting of Akeem and the bop (dancing from left to right); like I was there for all of it. It was just beautiful work. 
WESLEY:  (laughing) I’m always trying to figure out a way to fulfill my true love, my true dream of being a dancer. I’ve always wanted to be a dancer, and it just didn’t work out that way. So I keep chasing it. So, yeah, this was a great opportunity for me to get closer to my dream and really was my audition for like a backup dancer behind Queen Latifah.  

GLITTER: You did that. (laughing)
WESLEY:  Like Black Mambazo or something. (laughing)

GLITTER: So you actually auditioned for the original Coming to America; you didn’t get that one. Can you tell us a little bit about that and how you came to get this role?  
WESLEY:  Well, I’d prepared quite heavily for that. I thought I was really suited for that role in the beginning, and it was an Eddie Murphy movie, and I was from New York. They were from New York. You know, I thought it was a match made in heaven. And I got that big L. (gestures an L with his hands) No, sir; I hit the showers.  

GLITTER: Yes, I had to think, you know, you were such a natural in this film that I was like, “Was he in the first one? Wait a minute.” You just were such a natural. You killed it, you really did.  
WESLEY: Bravo. Well yeah, to do something that was not just a stereotypical African despot. You know, in the cliche, the characterizations and, you know, I mean, I do want to do something in a comedy that was like the wonderful work Idris did in Beasts of No Nation. So I thought, well, let’s try something where, you know, he’s a bad guy. Well, no, he’s not a bad guy, but people think he’s a bad guy. But he’s the kind of guy who has gone to America like he’s the kind of guy that would have hung out in Puffy’s restaurant or go to Puffy’s birthday party and then going back to Nexdoria with pictures. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. They wanted me to stay in America and cut the record, but I told them no, I’m running a country. I am not a rapper.” (laughing) Yeah, I thought that would be fun. I know a lot of guys like this.  

GLITTER: So this is your second time working with Eddie Murphy. Can you just tell us what that was like to team up with him for this new project?  
WESLEY: Yes, a little easier than the first. You know, I actually was more nervous in Dolemite is My Name than in this one, but that changed once, you know, all of the cast showed up. I’m like, “Wow, it’s a whole lot of people from the original cast.” And, you know, [I’m like] “OK, I got to make sure I do my thing so I can be, you know, invited to the party.” (laughing) But it was great to work with Arsenio and Eddie and you know, play. Yeah, create and play all at the same time. How cool it is that it gets preserved on film? You know, and then, yeah, it would be one of the ones I look back [on], and I would look at it and have fond memories of each scene, each moment.  

GLITTER: Speaking of the cast and just the whole vibe of the film, there was so much love, family, and culture and just coming off of such a rough year for families; I mean, this is going to be so inspiring. How did that make you feel to know that you were going to be a part of something that was just going to uplift so many different people?  
WESLEY: I mean, on the right path, you know, “Blessed and highly favored,” as they say, and this is what the mission is. This is part of what my focus was all the way, you know, in the first iteration of our company, Amen-Ra Films, and those early days, it’s the same mission statement for Maandi House Studios. It’s the same mission statement for the Daywalker clique, our global club of hyphenated skill masters. That we do this for the art, for the love of the art, but also as a way to empower, enhance and maybe have some social impact on creating better human beings with a better quality of life, giving them also some fairness or maybe a better shot at fulfilling their own dreams. You know, this is what we are about. This is my charge in life. There’s no confusion with it. Everybody knows where I stand. I’m about goodness and good people and humanity and if you’re rocking with me, I’m rocking with you. You know, if you’re not rocking with that, hey, we always got swords, baby.  

GLITTER: There was so much female empowerment in this film and so many amazing, beautiful women.  
WESLEY: You better say it!

GLITTER: Yes, it was on display; ‘Black girl magic’ was on display. (laughing) 
WESLEY: Mmm, Hmmm, Noxeema was jealous. Noxeema Jackson was very mad, and she didn’t have none of the color palettes back in them days…and the lights and the lashes. But they was fierce. Gurl…  

GLITTER: How did it feel just to be a part of just something that’s going to inspire so many little girls?  
WESLEY: I thought you were going to ask, “How do you feel being on the set with all those beautiful women?” 

GLITTER: Well, let me ask you that. (laughing)
WESLEY: Damn, Damn, Damn (singing).  

GLITTER: OK, next question, next question. (laughing) Is there a funny moment that you could share with us from the set? I mean, with all these comedic legends on-screen, any funny moments behind the scenes or a memorable moment? 
WESLEY: Oh, man, funny moments, there were just so many funny moments. Oh, these questions are always tough. Yeah, I’m drawing a blank right now. As soon as you move on to the question, I’ll be like, oh, yeah.  

GLITTER: My last question for you is, you know, I just have to say that you look good. You are literally aging backwards. I have to say that.  
WESLEY: (laughing).  

GLITTER: So I want to know your secrets. Is it vegan? Is keto, is it vitamin C? I mean, I know, “Black don’t crack,” but I need to know. (laughing)
WESLEY: Blessed, blessed, blessed. OK, so we do have some secrets. We do have some day work of secrets, and we use the right kind of water. We also use complex amino acids. We also use massage; a lot of massage to release tension, cortisol, stress in the body, which ages and dehydrates: Heavy Vitamin D, heavy vitamin C, and postbiotics. 

GLITTER: Nice. Have you tried lymphatic massage? 
WESLEY: I have tried lymphatic massage. Another little trivial secret that most people don’t know. I actually studied as a massage therapist for like four years. 

GLITTER:  Interesting.
WESLEY: I studied the two. I studied the Native American system. I have certifications in Shiatsu, and I studied at the Swedish Institute in New York City when it was there. So that was all of my you know, when I was going out before my Magic Mike days, I was just learning technique, you know, so that I could be qualified. 

GLITTER: Absolutely. (laughing) 
WESLEY: In my Magic Mike days. (smiling, staring into the camera) 

GLITTER: (laughing) Sir, thank you so much. It was a pleasure chatting with you.  
WESLEY: (laughing) It’s a pleasure.  

GLITTER: Good luck on everything in the future. 
WESLEY: Blessing same, same, same. I’m going to see you again.  

GLITTER: Absolutely. Absolutely. 
WESLEY:  You’re going to keep elevating. (smiling) 

GLITTER: Absolutely.  (laughing)
WESLEY: Absolutely.  (laughing)

GLITTER: Thank you. 
WESLEY: And then when ya’ll want to do a conversation with Noxzeema about all of this makeup that’s going on. We could have that conversation.  

GLITTER: All right. (laughing)
WESLEY: They be leaving her out. They act like Noxeema doesn’t even exist. Nobody be calling Noxeema. Essence ain’t call Nozema, Glamour…. none of them. Okurrrrrrrr…I can do that. 

GLITTER: (laughing) We will be in touch. 

Coming 2 America premieres March 5 on Amazon Prime Video.