Darryl Jenks, nicknamed the "Prince of Soul Glo", is the main antagonist of the 1988 romantic comedy film Coming to America.
He is Lisa McDowell's lazy, egotistical ex-boyfriend and the spoiled heir to the Soul Glo hair products that his father created in America. He is also a love rival of the royal prince Akeem of Zamunda for Lisa's affections.
He was portrayed by Eriq La Salle, who also played Satan in Crazy as Hell.
Biography[]
Darryl Jenks was born to the man that invented "Soul Glo", a hair product similar to Jheri Curl.
At some point Darryl begin dating Lisa McDowell, who he plans to marry with the support of her father, Mr. Cleo McDowell of the McDowell fast food restaurant business (a clear McDonald's ripoff) in New York, who only likes Darryl for his wealth. He constantly belittles Akeem.
He is first seen at a Black Awareness Rally, waving to Lisa as she goes up on stage. Lisa makes a speech about children being the future and the need to rebuild Lincoln Park to give the kids a play area. When ushers are passing out donation baskets, everyone donates something, except for Darryl, who passes it to the next person without giving a penny. The next day at McDowell's, Darryl comes to see Lisa. Before doing so, he briefly talks about his father's business with Lisa's father, then gives Mr. McDowell unused company tickets to the New York Jets. Mr. McDowell appreciates this, then tells Lisa Darryl is here. When she asks about a large donation that was found in one of the donation baskets, Darryl takes credit for it. In actuality, it had been made by Akeem.
One of Akeem's coworkers, Maurice, has a low opinion of Darryl. When Maurice had prepared a milkshake for a paying customer, Mr. McDowell took it as a freebie for Darryl. When outside to take Lisa for a ride, Darryl sees Semmi and Akeem emptying the garbage cans. Darryl says he has four tickets to a college basketball game, and offers three of them to Lisa, one for herself, one for her sister Patrice, and another for any friend of theirs to invite. He then asks the pair to dispose of the milkshake cup and tosses it to them, not realizing (or concerned) that he had not finished it. The milkshake splashes all over Akeem's work uniform. Later during work, Maurice says to Akeem he does not know much about Zamunda, much less their women, but says that in the United States, girls go for rich guys. Akeem remarks that Darryl must be a hard worker to afford all this, to which Maurice says that is not the case, calling Darryl "the prince of Soul Glo". Maurice tells Akeem that Darryl lives off the profits that his father's business brings in.
At the basketball game, Lisa begins to see Darryl's true colors. He makes thinly veiled insults to Akeem and stereotypical remarks about Africans, showing he knows nothing about Zamunda. Lisa glowers at him while he snidely says to Akeem that this must be the first time in his life he is wearing clothes. Lisa politely asks if Akeem is able to understand the basketball game, and he replies in the affirmative. Darryl asks if they play "chase the monkey" in Zamunda, to which Akeem replies that soccer is a popular game. Darryl once again says how soccer is cutesy pootsy, but he dislikes any sports where participants are not allowed to use their hands.
The next day at McDowell's, while Darryl was getting coffee for Lisa as she soon was talking to Akeem, the McDowell's restaurant was being robbed by a local criminal whom, according to Cleo McDowell, the said restaurant was hit by 5 times. Luckily, due to the heroics of Mr. McDowell's "African connections" (Akeem and his royal sidekick Semmi), the same thieving robber is now in prison for all time.
Later that night at the McDowell family's luxurious house within the Queens suburbs, Mr. McDowell announces that the party he is hosting for his invited guests including Akeem, Semmi, Reverend Brown, and the Jenks family, the party itself was an engagement party, although Lisa herself has never accepted the "will you marry me" question and the party to announce this never-to-be marriage out of obligation with Darryl without her blessing. Angry at the lying Darryl after discussing this matter with him, Lisa storms out of her house and walks to a swing outside in her backyard where she confided in Akeem, though the young man never revealed to the bright young woman his royal birthright or his famous family, for he only wanted Lisa to love him for who he is.