We’ve all been there. You’re flipping through cable or scrolling deep into a streaming library and you see a thumbnail of a movie you haven’t thought about in twenty years. For a lot of people, that movie is Kingdom Come. Released back in 2001, it’s one of those "funeral comedies" that basically lived and died on the strength of its performers. Honestly, if you look at the movie Kingdom Come cast today, it’s kind of a "who’s who" of Black Hollywood royalty.
You’ve got Oscar winners, Grammy winners, and sitcom legends all shoved into one dysfunctional family. It’s wild to think they got all these people in one room for a $7 million budget.
The story is pretty simple. A mean, "surly" patriarch named Woodrow "Bud" Slocumb dies of a stroke at the breakfast table. His wife, Raynelle, played by Whoopi Goldberg, is surprisingly chill about it. She basically says, "Well, he's gone," and starts the process of herding her messy, feuding family into town for the funeral. What follows is 90 minutes of people screaming at each other, some surprisingly deep moments about alcoholism and infertility, and a whole lot of church hats.
Who was actually in the movie Kingdom Come cast?
If you were to try and assemble this group now, the payroll alone would bankrupt most indie studios. The film was led by LL Cool J as Ray Bud Slocumb. Back then, people were still kinda skeptical about rappers transitioning to "serious" acting, but he actually carries the emotional weight of the movie. He plays a mechanic struggling to stay sober while dealing with the trauma of his father’s emotional neglect.
Then you have Vivica A. Fox playing his wife, Lucille. She’s the glue. She’s trying to keep everyone from killing each other while privately dealing with the heartbreak of not being able to conceive. It’s a grounded performance that balances out the more "over-the-top" characters.
And boy, are there over-the-top characters.
The Scene-Stealers: Jada and Anthony
Most people remember the movie Kingdom Come cast for the chaotic energy brought by Jada Pinkett Smith and Anthony Anderson. Jada plays Charisse Slocumb, and if you haven't seen her in this, you’re missing out. She’s loud, she’s nagging, and she’s got this high-pitched, piercing voice that’s supposedly a tribute to the "Rosie Perez" style of comedy.
She’s married to Junior, played by Anthony Anderson. Junior is the family "screw-up" who blows all their money on a failed invention (a driveway polisher, of all things). They live in a trailer park with a bunch of hyperactive kids, and their entrance into the movie—driving a smoking, beat-up car—is pure slapstick.
The Religious Backbone
You can't have a Southern funeral movie without the "church lady." Loretta Devine plays Marguerite Slocumb, the pious, judgmental sister of the deceased. She spends half the movie shouting "Get thee behind me, Satan!" at her slacker son, Royce, played by Darius McCrary (who most 90s kids know as Eddie Winslow from Family Matters).
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And then there's Cedric the Entertainer. He plays Reverend Beverly H. Hooker. If you want to know how the movie handles tone, just look at his character. He’s a flatulent minister. It’s exactly what it sounds like. He provides the broad, physical humor that contrasts with the more somber moments Whoopi Goldberg brings to the table.
The Surprising Screen Debut of a Superstar
One detail people often forget about the movie Kingdom Come cast is that it featured Toni Braxton in her first-ever film role. She played Juanita Slocumb, the "wealthy" cousin who married into money.
Funny enough, despite being one of the biggest R&B stars on the planet at the time, she doesn’t actually sing in the movie. The gospel music in the film is top-tier, featuring the likes of Tamela Mann (in a small role as "Lady #2") and a soundtrack produced by Kirk Franklin, but Braxton plays it straight as an actress.
Why the cast mattered more than the script
Look, if we're being real, the critics weren't exactly kind to this movie when it dropped. It was adapted from a stage play called Dearly Departed by David Dean Bottrell and Jessie Jones. Some reviewers felt it was too "stagey" or that it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a deep drama about family trauma or a "fart joke" comedy.
But the reason it has such a long tail on streaming and remains a staple in many households is the chemistry.
- Whoopi Goldberg gives a very restrained, "quiet" performance. She’s the center of the storm.
- LL Cool J proves he can handle "blue-collar" credibility without the "tough guy" rapper persona.
- Vivica A. Fox provides the heart that keeps the movie from feeling too mean-spirited.
The movie cost about $7 million to make and cleared over $23 million at the box office. That’s a win. It didn't need CGI or massive sets; it just needed these specific actors to bounce off each other.
Common Misconceptions about Kingdom Come
There’s often some confusion when people search for "Kingdom Come" because the name is so popular in pop culture.
- The DC Comic: No, this isn't the live-action version of the famous Mark Waid and Alex Ross graphic novel. Fans are still waiting for a proper movie for that one.
- The Video Game: It’s also not related to the RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
- The Documentary: There's actually a 2011 documentary with the same title about indie filmmaking.
The 2001 movie is strictly a family dramedy. It’s also one of those rare PG-rated comedies from that era that managed to feel "adult" without needing a bunch of profanity or "R-rated" raunchiness.
What to watch next if you liked the cast
If you’re revisiting the movie Kingdom Come cast and want to see these actors in similar "ensemble" environments, there are a few clear winners.
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For more of that "family gathering" vibe, Soul Food (1997) is the obvious gold standard. It features Vivica A. Fox and has a much more serious tone. If you want more of Anthony Anderson’s comedic timing from that era, Big Momma's House or Life are great companion pieces.
To really appreciate what this cast did, you have to look at it as a snapshot of 2001. It was a moment when these actors were transitionary—Whoopi was moves toward her "legend" status, LL was proving his acting chops, and Jada was just a few years away from the Matrix sequels.
If you haven't seen it in a while, it's worth a rewatch just to see how many "Before They Were Superstars" faces you can spot in the background. Pay attention to the church scenes; you'll see a lot of familiar faces from the gospel and R&B world that didn't even get top billing.
Actionable Insights for Movie Lovers:
- Check out the soundtrack—it was produced by Kirk Franklin and is widely considered better than the movie itself by some critics.
- Watch for Whoopi Goldberg's subtle reactions; she’s often doing her best work when she isn’t the one talking.
- Look for the original play, Dearly Departed, if you're into theater; it’s still widely produced in community theaters and offers a slightly different take on the characters.