Eddie Murphy’s Daughter, Bella Murphy, Makes Her Screen Debut in ‘Coming 2 America’

Coming 2 America is all about the girl power, so it’s appropriate that producer and star Eddie Murphy took the opportunity to feature a powerful girl in his life, aka his daughter Bella Murphy.

In this sequel to Murphy’s popular 1988 comedy—which began streaming on Amazon Prime today—Prince Akeem Joffer (Murphy) and his wife Lisa (Shari Headley) are now 30 years older. The movie opens with an homage to the original: a royal wake-up call in the fictional African nation of Zamunda. But instead of the royal bathers, the three women who bid Akeem and Lisa good morning are their daughters, the youngest, Princess Tinashe (Akiley Love); the middle child, Princess Omma (Bella Murphy); and the oldest Princess Meeka (KiKi Layne).

And yes, “Bella Murphy,” as in that Murphy—as in Eddie Murphy’s real-life daughter, Bella, in her screen acting debut. In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, the young Murphy said that her father broke a family rule by letting her audition for the role.

“We’re not allowed to work in this industry until we’re 18,” Murphy, who was 17 at the time of filming, said. “So I didn’t think that would be a possibility.”

But don’t think she didn’t work hard for the role just because she had the family hook-up.

In an interview for the Coming 2 America press notes, the young Murphy said, “I’m really passionate about pursuing acting, so when my dad told me about this part, I was excited about auditioning and also, training for the role. It was fun to do it all with him.”

And of course, it was doubly exciting for her to be involved in the Coming To America sequel. She first saw her father’s film when she was just 11 years old. “I remember it being really funny to watch,” she said in that same interview. “It shaped a lot of my humor, too.”

As Omma, Bella Murphy doesn’t get the same arc as her on-screen older sister—who longs to inherit the throne, despite Zamunda’s patriarchal tradition—but she does get a few fun scenes. The three princesses are the ones to save the day against the villainous General Izzi (Wesley Snipes), which means Murphy has the honor of beating up Snipes with a staff.

Hey, not bad for a first-timer!

Watch Coming 2 America on Amazon Prime Video