The 1994 The Lion King defined the childhood of the millennial generation. The Lion King was an all-round success, setting several records after its release. Unsurprisingly, the movie was preserved in the National Film Registry after being selected by the Library of Congress in 2016.
Thanks to The Lion King, “Hakuna matata” is the most famous Swahili phrase worldwide. Produced on a $45 million budget, The Lion King grossed an impressive $968.4 million at the Box Office. It became the highest-grossing film of 1994, as well as the highest-grossing animated film until it was surpassed by 2003 Finding Nemo. These are the original The Lion King’s cast and where they are in their careers.
Matthew Broderick as Simba
American actor Matthew Broderick voiced Simba, the movie’s protagonist. Simba was introduced as a young lion prince destined to become the King of the Pride Lands. After his father’s death, Simba’s evil uncle, Scar, convinces him that he is responsible for his father’s death and convinces him to run away. Simba grows up in exile but eventually learns the truth about what really happened to his father. With the help of his friends Timon and Pumbaa, Simba returns to confront Scar and reclaim his rightful place as King.
Since then, Matthew Broderick has had an active career in film and television. Since the start of the 2020s, Broderick has starred in two movies, 2020 Lazy Susan (as Doug) and 2023 No Hard Feelings (as Laird Becker). Similarly, he portrayed American billionaire businessman and physician Richard Sackler on Netflix’s 2023 miniseries Painkiller on television. He guest-starred as Himself in 2 episodes of the Steve Martin and John Hoffman-created mystery comedy-drama Only Murders in the Building. Matthew Broderick also married actress Sarah Jessica Parker on May 19, 1997, and is a father of three.
James Earl Jones as Mufasa
Veteran actor James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa, the wise and powerful King of the Pride Lands. Mufasa’s tragic death at the hands of his treacherous brother Scar is a pivotal moment in the movie and sets the stage for Simba’s journey to reclaim his rightful place as King. Before joining The Lion King’s cast, James Earl Jones was famous for playing King Jaffe Joffer in the 1988 Coming to America. Earl Jones, who turned 93 in 2024, has appeared in fewer roles over the last few years. His last movie and acting credit were in 2021, when he reprised his role as King Jaffe Joffer in the sequel Coming 2 America.
Jeremy Irons as Scar
Scar is one of the most memorable Disney villains. He’s Mufasa’s brother and Simba’s uncle. When it comes to sibling betrayal, few have done it as Scar did to usurp a throne he believed he deserved. Undeniably, The Lion King’s main antagonist, Scar, was voiced by English actor Jeremy Irons. The Academy Award-winning actor has also stayed active through the years.
Irons’ last movie credits include the 2021 Zack Synder’s Justice League (as Alfred Pennyworth), House of Gucci (as Rodolfo Gucci), 2023 The Flash, The Cello (Francesco), and as Wallace Westwyld in the 2024 The Beekeeper. Jeremy Irons narrated the Canadian comedy miniseries The Pentaverate and the 2024 English miniseries The Count of Monte Cristo.
Moira Kelly as Nala
American actress Moira Kelly voiced Nala, a character introduced as Simba’s childhood best friend and later Queen of the Pride Lands. Although she hasn’t landed a major role in a big-budget movie, Kelly has starred in several other movies and TV shows. She appeared in 3 episodes of The Resident from 2019 to 2020 and in the Panic TV series. In 2022, she reprised her voiceover as Nala in the Disney Dreamlight Valley video game. Also, her last credits were in the 2022 My Southern Family Christmas and the 2023 Citadel.
Nathan Lane as Timon
Timon, the wisecracking bipedal meerkat, is one of the comic characters in The Lion King. Known for his carefree personality, he and Pumbaa befriended Simba after he ran away from the Pride Lands. American actor Nathan Lane voiced Timon. Lane has had an extensive screen and stage career since 1994.
Nathan Lane reprised the voice role as Timon in the 2023 short film Once Upon a Studio. Lane voiced the Oracle of the Sun in the 2024 Spellbound animated film. In 2022, he portrayed Ward McAllister in a recurring role in The Gilded Age. He plays Dominick Dunne in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and Teddy Dimas in Only Murders in the Building.
Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa
Actor and comedian Ernie Sabella was the voice of Pumbaa in 1994’s The Lion King. Pumbaa was the naïve warthog and Timon’s best friend who helped raise Simba. Although Sabella didn’t have any acting credit in the 2020s, interestingly, voicing Pumbaa was his last credit. He voiced the character in the The Lion Guard TV series from 2016 to 2019 and the 2019 Timon and Pumbaa at the Movies.
Rowan Atkinson as Zazu
English actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson voiced Zazu in the 1994 The Lion King. His character was the fretful hornbill who served as King Mufasa’s majordomo. Rowan Atkinson is famous for playing Mr. Bean and has played the character in several productions since 1994. Atkinson co-created and starred in the British comedy series Man vs. Bee in 2022. After a five-year break from movies, he returned in 2023 to play Father Julius in Wonka.
Robert Guillaume as Rafiki
Rafiki delivered one of the famous scenes in The Lion King, raising the newborn Simba to present to the animals of the Pride Lands. He’s the old mandrill who serves as the Shaman of the Pride Lands. Actor and singer Robert Guillaume voiced the character of Rafiki. Sadly, Robert Guillaume died of prostate cancer at his Los Angeles home on October 24, 2017. He died at 89. If you remember The Lion King cast, check out the Sam and Cat cast and where they are now.
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