‘The Lion King’ at 30: Jason Weaver Sang Simba, But Few Knew
Weaver later played a supporting role in the sitcom “Smart guy,” singing on Chingy’s 2004 hit “One phone call away” and steadily working in film and TV. But it wasn’t until the last few years, Weaver said, that he gained more recognition for his role as “Lion King.”
Disney is also keeping the fanfare around the film alive: in May, the studio filmed a anniversary concertwith Weaver and some of the others original voice actorswhich will be streamed on Disney+. It also announced a theatrical re-release in July from the original film, and a new live-action prequel, “Mufasa: The Lion King,” premieres in December.
Weaver’s eyes sparkled behind thick-rimmed glasses as he spoke from Chicago, where he is currently filming the Showtime drama “The Chi.” As an adult, Weaver said, he has a new appreciation for his part in the Disney classic.
These are edited excerpts from our conversation.
How did singing come about for young Simba?
I was filming the miniseries “The Jacksons,” and during production there were always big artists who would come to the set because they were friends of the Jacksons or just curious. On this particular day I was singing “Who’s Lovin’ You” and Elton John [who co-wrote “The Lion King” songs with Tim Rice] came over. He saw me perform live and approached my mother. They wanted the Simba singing voice to have a young Michael Jackson vibe, and I was able to get an audition the day after we finished “The Jacksons.”
How was the recording process?
It was supposed to be an audition. I just went in to see if they would even consider me for the part. But [directors] Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers were there, and producer Don Hahn. When I walked into the recording studio in Burbank, they had storyboards with basic pencil sketches of what Simba looked like. And they said, “When you go into the booth, we’re going to have cameras recording your actions, because if we like what you’re doing, we can incorporate it into the animation of the character.”
When the music started, I felt so comfortable. There was energy in the room and it felt good. I sang “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” twice, and Roger said, “Well, you got the job.” I had to finish all the recording that day, because I had to catch an overnight flight back to Chicago. So I also sang part of “Hakuna Matata” and then I did another song that never made it into the movie called “Warthog rhapsody.”
