It’s almost time to return to the Pride Lands! Disney is finally taking audiences back to the beginning inMufasa: The Lion KingwithAaron PierreandKelvin Harrison Jr.as Mufasa and Taka. In this interview with Collider’sPerri Nemiroff, the duo andTiffany Boone, who voices Sarabi in the film, share the nerves and joys they experienced while bringing these classic characters to life in a whole new way.
In the movie, the story of Mufasa’s rise to the beloved ruler is told through flashbacks as Rafiki (John Kani) regales Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala’s (Beyoncé) daughter, Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), with the legendary story of her grandfather and his found family. From an orphaned cub to an epic adventure with Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline, we learn how the two brothers' bond left them at odds in the end.
Like their characters, Pierre, Harrison Jr., and Boone embarked on a journey when they signed on to portray these iconic characters. Voice acting is already a particular type of challenge, but breathing life into such cherished characters is undeniably a daunting task. In this conversation with Nemiroff, they share that journey with us, from the moment they knew they’d found their way into Mufasa, Taka, and Sarabi, as well as Taka’s shift to the deliciously villainous Scar thatJeremy Ironsmade unforgettable 30 years ago. Check out the full conversation in the video above or the transcript below to find out who’s the Glinda and who’s the Elphaba between Harrison Jr. and Pierre, as well as Pierre’s thoughts on joiningLanternsafter Marvel’sBladefell through.
Finding These Iconic Disney Voices Was Rewarding, but It Wasn’t Easy
PERRI NEMIROFF: Taking on iconic roles like these is a high-pressure situation. Do you each remember the very first thing you did either in prep or in the booth that made you say to yourself, “Yes, I am Mufasa,” “Yes, I am Taka,” and “Yes, I am Sarabi?”
AARON PIERRE: Honestly, initially, I didn’t experience much success with it. My first interaction with the script was a lot of failing forwards. But what happened was, in trusting in that process with [director] Barry [Jenkins], who I love and adore, we found a moment of success. Once we found it, we mined it, and we kept going deeper and deeper into whatever that energy was, whatever that character was, and whatever the nuances of that character that we developed were. That’s where the fun just really continues, and I had a really beautiful experience with it.
Do you remember what that moment was?
PIERRE: I think it was the first time that I had to do the speech that is a little later into the film. I can’t say too much. See, because I love her, I’m about to tell the whole story like the cameras aren’t rolling and I won’t get in trouble. [Laughs] Butthere’s a speech at the end of the film where we found it, but luckily, that was kind of at the beginning of the process, and we could go through the rest of the script with that same energy.
KELVIN HARRISON JR.: I think mine was in the scene with Tiffany. We were in the booth for the first time, and Taka and Sarabi have a scene — I’ll say it’s when he’s talking about flowers. That was when I really got to find my youthful version of that Scar attitude. Where is his rizz, as the kids call it?
TIFFANY BOONE: Oh, therizz.
HARRISON JR.: The rizz. That’s when I was like, “Okay, now I understand.” [Performs Taka’s efforts]
BOONE: I forgot you used to do those! [Laughs] We’d be like, “Just do a few of those for us.”
PIERRE: I would love when they would leave it open for him. “Keep going, Kel.”
When are we gonna see the Taka blooper reel? Give me that.
HARRISON JR.: Listen, where’s Mr. Jenkins?
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Long Live the King.
[Laughs] How about for you, Tiffany?
BOONE: Okay, I’m just going to be honest. I’ve said this before that I’m not a person who ever feels like I have it, like, anytime I’m doing anything. So, I’m not sure that moment actually really came in this process. Every time we would have a break between sessions, I’d be like, “Oh, I’m fired.” My team would be like, “Oh yeah, they’re asking when you’re available forLion King.” And I was like, “Oh, I’m not fired? I thought they replaced me with somebody already.” And so, I’m not sure. I know, weirdly enough,once we started doing the music, that is a place where I had so much fear, but once we started doing it, I felt very alive in itand very free in it, so that was a moment where I felt like, “Okay, you’re able to let it go now. If they’re paying you to record this music, they’re probably not gonna fire you.” [Laughs]
PIERRE: You crushed it. You crushed it, Tiffany.
As someone with a very similar mentality, I get it. But I hope at the very least, when you see the finished product, you’re like, “Yeah, I did it. I got it.”
HARRISON JR.: I knew you had it from the first day.
BOONE: Thank you.
HARRISON JR.: The power you had and the elegance, I was like, “Oh my gosh.” That voice!
Kelvin Harrison Jr. Tapped Into His Inner Jeremy Irons
How did Taka go from “the young man that we love” to the iconic Disney villain?
Kelvin, I’ll teeter slightly into spoiler territory, but it’s not really a spoiler because people know Taka is Scar. I don’t want you to spoil the particulars of this moment, but there’s a certain part of the movie when I felt you turn on the Jeremy Irons switch. What are some techniques and little nuances that you had to incorporate at that point in the movie to lean into the Scar we already know?
HARRISON JR.: It was a lot of studying his voice, which I did dial a lot of that before I even started the process. Then Barry was like, “Alright, we get it. You love Jeremy Irons. Let’s find out the Taka voice.” And I think it was just finding the right moment in the scene. We did it so many times. I just did it in different increments. We did three different iterations of that scene, and then Barry found the point of, when do we lock into the shift in him becoming the villain we know versus the young man that we love? And yeah, I just tried to verify I hit the button.
I was tickled when I saw the blending and almost couldn’t differentiate anymore. Creatively, that filled me up.
HARRISON JR.: It was fun.
Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. Might Try Defying Gravity
Also, what fills me up is seeing loads of the two of you in projects together. This was my big burning question for this interview; if you had the opportunity to play another iconic duo on screen, who would you pick and why?
PIERRE: Wow.
HARRISON JR.: You know what? I really want to do a remake ofDirty Rotten Scoundrels, and I would love to play Steve Martin, and I feel like you’d be a good Michael Caine.
That’s a good pick!
HARRISON JR.: That’s not an iconic duo, but it’s an iconic duo.
When you said remake, I had overheard one of your last interviews, and I thought for a second you were going to sayWicked.
HARRISON JR.: Oh my god.
Tiffany, I’ll throw this to you. Between the two of them, who is the Glinda and who is the Elphaba?
BOONE: Oh! I think you’re the Glinda, [Kelvin], and you’re the Elphaba, [Aaron].
HARRISON JR.: Oh, wow.
I could see this. Do we agree?
PIERRE: I love it. Look at him complaining.
HARRISON JR.: [Starts singing off-key] See, I sing it so nice. [Sings off-key] You don’t think I’m Elphaba?
BOONE: I mean, you guys could be interchangeable. I haven’t seen the film yet.
HARRISON JR.: [Sings at Boone]
BOONE: Okay, you can do it all!
PIERRE: You started a whole conversation off-camera now.
I’m perfectly fine with that.
BOONE: I’m in trouble.
PIERRE: Tiffany’s in trouble now.
Aaron Pierre Isn’t Just Going Where the Winds Take Him
The actor discusses joining ‘Lanterns’ after Marvel’s ‘Blade’ fell through.
You know I have to end with aLanternsquestion because our audience loves the superhero shows and films. Here’s, hopefully, a unique way to get at it for you.Bladedidn’t work out, butLanternscame up soon thereafter, which is wonderful. I’m very excited for it. What is it about the superhero genre that draws you to it? Is it about where the industry winds are blowing you, or is it more about something particular about the genre that you think will fill you up as an artist?
PIERRE: That’s a really thoughtful and beautiful question. Honestly, it’s never about where the industry winds are blowing for me. It’s always about what is my truth and what I’m inspired to do next, irrespective of who thinks what about it. I do really love the superhero genre, but I’m more drawn to particular characters and I’m deeply in love with the character of John Stewart. So, I’m over the moon, and I’m so excited to have been gifted the opportunity to serve this character and bring it to life.
That mentality is what keeps me coming back for more from you! And from you, Kelvin, and now, Tiffany, you’re part of the vibe.
PIERRE: We last saw you in Utah.
Yes, we did.That was a lovely conversation. One of my favorite Collider Forces.
PIERRE: Amazing. It was. It was dope.
Congratulations onMufasa. I cannot wait to see more from all three of you!
Mufasa: The Lion Kingopens in theaters on December 20. For even more from this dynamic duo, you can watch Perri’s Collider Forces conversation with Pierre and Harrison Jr. below.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.
