The People Behind The Lion King
by christophershobris | created - 03 Feb 2023 | updated - 07 Feb 2023 | PublicEvery movie, TV show, and Broadway play with all the people that were involved in each rendition. This includes the directors, producers, writers, actors, musicians, and more. These are the people that touched the Lion King to help make it what it is today. Still one of the most celebrated animated films of all time. And after 28 years, it’s still going strong. This is my way of paying respect to the men and women who made this.
1. Rob Minkoff
Director | The Lion King
Rob Minkoff was born on August 11, 1962 in Palo Alto, California, USA. He is a producer and director, known for The Lion King (1994), Stuart Little 2 (2002) and The Forbidden Kingdom (2008). He has been married to Crystal Kung Minkoff since September 29, 2007. They have two children.
Director (The Lion King - 1994)
2. Roger Allers
Director | The Lion King
Roger Allers is an American animated film director and writer who is known for co-directing the influential 1994 Disney musical film The Lion King. He also worked on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. He was intended to direct the musical drama Kingdom of the Sun, which got ...
Director (The Lion King - 1994)
3. Darrell Rooney
Writer | Aladdin
Darrell Rooney is known for Aladdin (1992), Tron (1982) and The Brave Little Toaster (1987).
Director (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride)
4. Bradley Raymond
Bradley Raymond is known for Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), The Lion King 1½ (2004) and Planes (2013).
Director (The Lion King 1 1/2)
5. Jon Favreau
Producer | Chef
Initially an indie film favorite, actor Jon Favreau has progressed to strong mainstream visibility into the millennium and, after nearly two decades in the business, is still enjoying character stardom as well as earning notice as a writer/producer/director.
The amiable, husky-framed actor with the ...
Director, Producer (The Lion King - 2019)
6. Barry Jenkins
Producer | If Beale Street Could Talk
Barry Jenkins was born on November 19, 1979 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is a producer and director, known for If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Moonlight (2016) and Aftersun (2022).
Director (Mufasa: The Lion King)
7. Don Hahn
Producer | Maleficent
Don Hahn was born on November 26, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Maleficent (2014), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) and The Lion King (1994). He has been married to Denise Meara-Hahn since June 12, 1987. They have one child.
Producer (The Lion King - 1994)
8. Jeannine Roussel
Producer | Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
Jeannine Roussel is known for Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (2001), Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996).
Producer (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride)
9. George A. Mendoza
Writer | ABC Afterschool Specials
George A. Mendoza is known for ABC Afterschool Specials (1972).
Producer (The Lion King 1 1/2)
10. Jeffrey Silver
Producer | The Lion King
Jeffrey Silver has Produced or Executive Produced 34 feature films, topping $6.2 billion at the Worldwide Box Office.
He's currently at work on a sequel to the metaverse-inspired, "Tron" (Disney) -- having produced the previous installment of the franchise -- directed by Joachim Ronning, and ...
Producer (The Lion King - 2019)
11. Karen Gilchrist
Producer | The Mandalorian
Karen Gilchrist is known for The Mandalorian (2019), Cowboys & Aliens (2011) and Iron Man (2008).
Producer (The Lion King - 2019)
12. Irene Mecchi
Writer | The Lion King
Irene Mecchi was born on September 21, 1949 in San Francisco, California, USA. She is a writer, known for The Lion King (1994), Brave (2012) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996).
Writer (The Lion King - 1994)
13. Jonathan Roberts
Writer | The Lion King
Jonathan Roberts was born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is known for The Lion King (1994), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) and James and the Giant Peach (1996).
Writer (The Lion King - 1994)
14. Linda Woolverton
Writer | Maleficent
Linda Woolverton was born in Long Beach, California, graduating from high school in 1969 and having been an honors student in her schools theater program. She enrolled at California State University, Long Beach, graduating with a BFA in Theater Arts in 1973. She worked full-time for a year in the ...
Writer (The Lion King - 1994)
15. Flip Kobler
Writer | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Flip Kobler began his performing career as an actor before morphing into a writer. With his wife and writing partner, Cindy Marcus, they have been penning away ever since selling their first screenplay to Paramount Studios in 1988. Together they have over 50 published plays and musicals performed ...
Writer (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride)
16. Cindy Marcus
Writer | Memory Lane
Along with husband Flip Kobler co-wrote an animated movie version of "Pirates of the Caribbean", but was abandoned during pre-production in favor of the live-action film. She is also a co-founder of the Showdown Stage Company in N. Hollywood, California where she co-writes and directs teen-themed ...
Writer (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride)
17. Tom Rogers
Writer | Elena of Avalor
Tom Rogers is known for Elena of Avalor (2016), The Chicken Squad (2021) and Kronk's New Groove (2005).
Writer (The Lion King 1 1/2)
18. Jeff Nathanson
Writer | Speed 2: Cruise Control
Jeff Nathanson was born on October 12, 1965 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), Catch Me If You Can (2002) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).
Writer (The Lion King - 2019, Mufasa: The Lion King)
19. Adele Romanski
Producer | Aftersun
Adele Romanski was born on November 10, 1982 in Sarasota, Florida, USA. She is a producer and editor, known for Aftersun (2022), Moonlight (2016) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018).
Producer (Mufasa: The Lion King)
20. Mark Ceryak
Producer | Aftersun
Mark Ceryak is known for Aftersun (2022), If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and The Hunting Party (2007).
Producer (Mufasa: The Lion King)
21. Hans Zimmer
Composer | Gladiator
German-born composer Hans Zimmer is recognized as one of Hollywood's most innovative musical talents. He featured in the music video for The Buggles' single "Video Killed the Radio Star", which became a worldwide hit and helped usher in a new era of global entertainment as the first music video to ...
Music Composer (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King - 2019)
22. Nick Glennie-Smith
Music_department | The Rock
Nick Glennie-Smith was born on October 3, 1951 in London, England, UK. He is a composer, known for The Rock (1996), We Were Soldiers (2002) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998). He is married to Jan Glennie-Smith. They have four children.
Music Composer (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride)
23. Don Harper
Music_department | I Am Number Four
Don Harper is known for I Am Number Four (2011), Armageddon (1998) and Shooter (2007).
Music Composer (The Lion King 1 1/2)
24. Ivan Bilancio
Editorial_department | Hercules
Ivan Bilancio is known for Hercules (1997), The Transformers: The Movie (1986) and The Lion King (1994).
Editor (The Lion King - 1994)
25. Peter Lonsdale
Editorial_department | Back to the Future
Peter Lonsdale was born on December 14, 1951 in Shipley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK. He is an editor, known for Back to the Future (1985), The Rocketeer (1991) and Back to the Future Part III (1990).
Editor (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride)
26. Joyce Arrastia
Editor | Rise of the Guardians
Joyce Arrastia is known for Rise of the Guardians (2012), The Sea Beast (2022) and The Firm (1993).
Editor (The Lion King 1 1/2)
27. Mark Livolsi
Editor | Wedding Crashers
Mark Livolsi was born on April 10, 1962 in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He was an editor, known for Wedding Crashers (2005), The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and The Blind Side (2009). He was married to Maria Livolsi. He died on September 23, 2018.
Editor (The Lion King - 2019)
28. Adam Gerstel
Editorial_department | Real Steel
Adam Gerstel was born on July 20, 1983 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an editor, known for Real Steel (2011), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Transformers: The Last Knight (2017).
Editor (The Lion King - 2019)
29. Caleb Deschanel
Cinematographer | The Passion of the Christ
Caleb Deschanel is an American film cinematographer and film/television director. He has been nominated for six Academy Awards, each time in the field of cinematography. The first nomination came in 1983 for the film The Right Stuff (1983). His second was in 1984 for The Natural (1984), the third ...
Cinematographer (The Lion King - 2019)
30. Ford Riley
Writer | The Lion Guard
Ford Riley is known for The Lion Guard (2015), Special Agent Oso (2009) and The Land Before Time (2007). He has been married to Holly Marsh Riley since 1995. They have two children.
Show Developer (The Lion Guard) Big Baboon (The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar) Komodo Dragon (The Lion Guard) Sumu (The Lion Guard) Njano (The Lion Guard)
31. Howy Parkins
Director | The Lion Guard
Howy Parkins is known for The Lion Guard (2015), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and Lloyd in Space (2001).
Director (The Lion Guard) Mbeya (The Lion Guard)
32. Christopher Willis
Composer | The Death of Stalin
Christopher Willis composes the music to Disney's Mickey Mouse (2013), and co-writes the music to the Emmy Award-winning show Veep (2012). He has also (as an "additional music" composer) contributed to a number of major Hollywood movies, including The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012), X...
Music Composer (The Lion Guard) Tafu (The Lion Guard)
33. Elton John
Soundtrack | Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Sir Elton John is one of pop music's great survivors. Born 25 March, 1947, as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he started to play the piano at the early age of four. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His first band was called Bluesology. He later auditioned (...
Songwriter (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King on Broadway, The Lion King - 2019, Timon & Pumbaa)
34. Tim Rice
Soundtrack | Aladdin
A prolific lyricist and librettist, Tim Rice was born in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, in the fall of 1944. Rice pursued his university education at Lancing College and, briefly, at l'Universite de Paris - Sorbonne. He was considering a legal career around the time that he met Andrew Lloyd Webber in ...
Lyricist (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King on Broadway, The Lion King - 2019, Timon & Pumbaa)
35. Beau Black
Music_department | The Lion Guard
Beau Black's music can be heard everywhere from EMMY® Award-nominated television series to ubiquitous campaigns for some of the world's most recognizable brands. Surrounded by music since childhood, he became a permanent fixture in his father's band: Jay and the Americans, until he was a young ...
Songwriter (The Lion Guard) Nne (The Lion Guard)
36. Bobs Gannaway
Producer | 101 Dalmatians: The Series
Bobs Gannaway was born on June 26, 1965 in the USA. He is a producer and writer, known for 101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997), Timon & Pumbaa (1995) and Hercules (1997). He has been married to Ilene Gannaway since May 15, 1993. They have three children. He was previously married to Faith Glantz.
Show Developer, Producer (Timon & Pumbaa)
37. Tony Craig
Actor | The Ref
Tony Craig is a performer whose abilities apparently know few boundaries. He is an accomplished musician, and has performed live on stage as a singer/drummer with Ben E King, Etta James, Martha Reeves, Mary Wells, Sam and Dave, The Mighty Sparrow, to name just a few. As a songwriter and session ...
Show Developer, Producer (Timon & Pumbaa)
38. Stephen James Taylor
Composer | I Am Here
Stephen James Taylor is known for I Am Here (2014), Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (1989) and Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988).
Music Composer (Timon & Pumbaa)
39. Chris Bartleman
Producer | Class of the Titans
Chris Bartleman is known for Class of the Titans (2006), Kid vs. Kat (2008) and Needful Things (1993).
Producer (Timon & Pumbaa)
40. Blair Peters
Producer | Kid vs. Kat
Blair Peters is known for Kid vs. Kat (2008), Being Ian (2004) and Class of the Titans (2006).
Producer (Timon & Pumbaa)
41. Julie Taymor
Director | Frida
Julie Taymor is an Academy Award-nominated director, known for such films as Frida (2002) and Across the Universe (2007).
She was born on December 15, 1952, in Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. Her father, Melvin Lester Taymor, was a gynecologist. Her mother, Elizabeth Bernstein, was a ...
Director, Creator (The Lion King on Broadway)
42. Garth Fagan
Cinematographer | The Lion King
Garth Fagan was born in 1940 in Jamaica. He is a cinematographer, known for The Lion King (1997), Griot New York (1995) and Charlie Rose (1991).
Choreographer (The Lion King on Broadway)
43. Matthew Broderick
Actor | The Producers
A slight comic actor chiefly known for his boyish charm, Matthew Broderick was born on March 21, 1962 in New York City, to Patricia Broderick (née Biow), a playwright and painter, and James Broderick, an actor. His father had Irish and English ancestry, and his mother was from a Jewish family (from...
Adult Simba (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, The Lion King 1 1/2)
44. Rob Lowe
Actor | St. Elmo's Fire
Rob Lowe was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, to Barbara Lynn (Hepler), a schoolteacher, and Charles Davis Lowe, a lawyer. His brother is actor Chad Lowe. He has German, as well as English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh ancestry. Lowe's family moved to Dayton, Ohio, when he was a child. Rob broke ...
Adult Simba (The Lion Guard)
45. Donald Glover
Actor | Solo: A Star Wars Story
The multi-talented Donald Glover is a writer, actor, musician, comedian, producer and director, who performs under the stage names Childish Gambino and mcDJ. He was born Donald McKinley Glover at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and was raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. His mother, Beverly (...
Adult Simba (The Lion King - 2019)
46. Joseph Williams
Soundtrack | The Lion King
Joseph Williams was born on September 1, 1960 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He is a music artist and composer, known for The Lion King (1994), The Goonies (1985) and Pitch Perfect (2012). He has been married to Amye Williams since October 17, 1992. They have three children.
Adult Simba - Singing Voice (The Lion King - 1994)
47. Cam Clarke
Actor | Akira
Cameron Arthur Clarke is an American voice actor who is known for voicing Leonardo and Rocksteady from the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, Shotaro Kaneda from Akira, Freddy from the Barnyard franchise, Liquid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Clay Kaczmarek from Assassin's Creed II and Simba ...
Adult Simba - singing voice (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride); regular voice (Timon & Pumbaa) Mwoga (The Lion Guard)
48. Jason Raize
Actor | Brother Bear
Jason Raize was born on July 20, 1975 in Oneonta, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Brother Bear (2003), The Lion King (1997) and Brother Bear (2003). He died on February 3, 2004 in Yass, New South Wales, Australia.
Adult Simba (The Lion King on Broadway)
49. James Earl Jones
Actor | Rogue One
Widely regarded as the one of greatest stage and screen actors both in his native USA and internationally, James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi. At an early age, he started to take dramatic lessons to calm himself down. It appeared to work as he has since starred ...
Mufasa (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King - 2019, The Lion Guard)
50. Gary Anthony Williams
Actor | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Gary Anthony Williams is an African-American actor, comedian and writer from Atlanta, Georgia who is known for playing Uncle Ruckus from The Boondocks, Bebop from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows and Tarik Jackson from Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. He is married to Leslie ...
Mufasa (The Lion Guard)
51. Samuel E. Wright
Actor | The Little Mermaid
Samuel Ernest Wright was an African-American actor and singer from Camden, South Carolina. He notably voiced Sebastian the Crab from Disney's The Little Mermaid franchise and Kron the Iguanodon from Dinosaur. He also played Mufasa in the original Broadway run of The Lion King. He passed away in May...
Mufasa (The Lion King on Broadway)
52. Aaron Pierre
Actor | The Underground Railroad
A graduate of the prestigious LAMDA in London, Aaron Pierre is currently recording a lead role as Mufasa in Barry Jenkins' highly anticipated Lion King prequel for Disney. He played Caesar in Barry Jenkins' award-winning limited series The Underground Railroad for Amazon and also starred in M. ...
Mufasa (Mufasa: The Lion King)
53. Jeremy Irons
Actor | Dead Ringers
British actor Jeremy Irons was born in Cowes, Isle of Wight, a small island off the south coast of England. He is the son of Barbara Anne Brereton (Sharpe) and Paul Dugan Irons, an accountant. Young Jeremy didn't prove very fond of figures. He visited mainland England only once a year. He wound up ...
Scar (The Lion King - 1994)
54. Jim Cummings
Actor | Winnie the Pooh
Born James Jonah Cummings on November 3, 1952, he grew up in Youngstown, Ohio.
Sooner or later, he moved to New Orleans. There, he designed Mardi Gras floats, was a singer, door-to-door salesman, and a Louisiana riverboat deckhand.
Then Cummings moved to Anaheim, California, where he started his ...
Scar - Singing Voice (The Lion King - 1994) Regular Voice (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride) Ed (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King 1 1/2) The Mole (The Lion King - 1994) Cheetato (Timon & Pumbaa) Mr. Bear (Timon & Pumbaa)
55. David Oyelowo
Actor | Lawmen: Bass Reeves
David Oyelowo also known as 'David O', is a classically trained stage actor who has quickly become one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents. He graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and received the "Scholarship for Excellence" from Nicholas Hytner in 1998.
David ...
Scar (The Lion Guard)
56. Chiwetel Ejiofor
Actor | 12 Years a Slave
English actor, writer and director Chiwetel Ejiofor is renowned for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. He is also known for playing Okwe in Dirty Pretty Things...
Scar (The Lion King - 2019)
57. John Vickery
Actor | Dante's Inferno
John Vickery was born on November 4, 1950 in Alameda, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Dante's Inferno (2010), Murder by Numbers (2002) and Babylon 5 (1993).
Scar (The Lion King on Broadway)
58. Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Actor | Luce
Kelvin Harrison Jr. was born on July 23, 1994 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Luce (2019), Monsters and Men (2018) and It Comes at Night (2017).
Scar (Mufasa: The Lion King)
59. Moira Kelly
Actress | One Tree Hill
Born March 6, 1968 in Queens, New York, she is the third of six kids. Her father, Peter, was trained as a concert violinist. Her mother, Anne, is a nurse. Both are Irish immigrants. Moira was raised in Ronkonkoma, NY. She attended Connetquot Senior High School and graduated in the class of 1986. ...
Adult Nala (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, The Lion King 1 1/2)
60. Beyoncé
Soundtrack | Dreamgirls
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas. Her mom, Tina Knowles designs their glittering costumes & her dad, Mathew Knowles manages Destiny's Child. Solange, her sister (they're 4 years apart) has released her debut album. She dances with her big sister during DC-3 ...
Adult Nala (The Lion King - 2019)
61. Gabrielle Union
Actress | Bring It On
Gabrielle Union was born on October 29, 1972, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Theresa (Glass), who managed a phone company, and Sylvester E. Union, a military sergeant and business executive. When she was eight, her family moved to Pleasanton, California, where she grew up and attended high school. There, ...
Adult Nala (The Lion Guard)
62. Heather Headley
Actress | Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Won a 2000 Tony Award for Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Musical for her role in "Aida". Released her debut album in 2002, "This is who I am". Moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana at age 15. As a student in university, she performed at the Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre, in "Dreamgirls" and "The...
Adult Nala (The Lion King on Broadway) Fikiri (The Lion Guard)
63. Sally Dworsky
Soundtrack | The Lion King
Sally Gail Dworsky is an American singer and actress who is known for providing the singing voices of Nala from The Lion King and Miriam from The Prince of Egypt. Her songs "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "When You Believe" were nominated for Best Original Song, with "When You Believe" winning ...
Adult Nala - singing voice (The Lion King - 1994)
64. Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Actor | The Lion King
Jonathan Taylor Thomas was born Jonathan Taylor Weiss on September 8, 1981 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to Claudine (Gonsalves) and Stephen Weiss. He has an older brother, Joel, and has Pennsylvania Dutch (German) and Portuguese ancestry. Growing up, he liked the music group Boyz II Men, and his ...
Young Simba (The Lion King - 1994)
65. JD McCrary
Actor | The Lion King
Jaydon McCrary (born July 18, 2007) is an American singer, dancer and actor. He is currently starring in The Paynes as Kenny Payne on the Oprah Winfrey Network. He starred in 2019's The Lion King as the voice of young Simba. He is signed to Hollywood Records and released his first extended play ...
Young Simba (The Lion King - 2019)
66. Scott Irby-Ranniar
Actor | The Lion King
Scott Irby-Ranniar is known for The Lion King (1997), Law & Order (1990) and Reading Rainbow (1983).
Young Simba (The Lion King on Broadway)
67. Jason Weaver
Actor | The Jacksons: An American Dream
Born on July 18, 1979 in Chicago, Illinois, Jason Weaver has always been surrounded by the world of entertainment. His mother Kitty Haywood, a legendary studio singer, was a staple in his young life and encouraged his pursuit of singing as well as acting. In being surrounded by the some of the best...
Young Simba - singing voice (The Lion King - 1994)
68. Matt Weinberg
Actor | The Benchwarmers
When a family friend suggested that then 8 year-old Matt Weinberg would make a good child actor, his parents wanted no part of it and said no. When the parents were still saying no five months later, the friend decided to take matters into her own hands and sneaked a kids' agent into a gym where ...
Young Simba (The Lion King 1 1/2)
69. Niketa Calame-Harris
Actress | The Lion King
Niketa Calame was born in Los Angeles, California She is most noted for her role as the original voice of "Young Nala" in Disney's 32nd Animated Feature Film, "The Lion King". She received her Masters Of Fine Arts from The Actors Studio Drama School in New York and her B.A from University of ...
Young Nala (The Lion King - 1994)
70. Shahadi Wright Joseph
Actress | Us
Shahadi Wright Joseph was born on April 29, 2005 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Us (2019), The Lion King (2019) and Throw it Back.
Young Nala (The Lion King - 2019)
71. Laura Williams
Soundtrack | The Lion King
Laura Williams was born on April 22, 1979 in Oceanside, California, USA. She is an actress, known for The Lion King (1994), Downtown (1990) and Luster (2002).
Young Nala - singing voice (The Lion King - 1994)
72. Kajuana S. Marie
Actress | Kingdom Business
At the tender age of 10, Kajuana Shuford Marie attended an open call for the Broadway hit musical the "Lion King". After a series of auditions stretching over a year, and competing with over 3,000 talented children, Kajuana modestly booked and originated the role of young Nala.
Many presume ...
Young Nala (The Lion King on Broadway)
73. Robert Guillaume
Actor | Benson
Robert Peter Williams Guillaume was an actor from St. Louis, Missouri who was known for playing Rafiki from The Lion King, Benson DuBois from Soap and Benson, and Nathan Detroit from Guys and Dolls. He had five children from two marriages. He passed away in October 24, 2017 due to prostate cancer ...
Rafiki (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, The Lion King 1 1/2)
74. Khary Payton
Actor | The Walking Dead
Khary Payton (born May 16, 1972) is an American actor and voice actor best known for his voice role of the DC Comics character Cyborg across various films, cartoons and video games. He is also known for his live action performances on General Hospital and The Walking Dead.
In 1986, Payton was a ...
Rafiki (The Lion Guard) Muhangus (The Lion Guard) Bellow Fellow 3 (The Lion Guard)
75. John Kani
Actor | Black Panther
John Kani was born on November 30, 1942 in New Brighton, South Africa. He is a writer and actor, known for Black Panther (2018), Captain America: Civil War (2016) and The Ghost and the Darkness (1996).
Rafiki (The Lion King - 2019)
76. Tsidii Leloka
Actress | Rose Red
Tsidii Leloka is known for Rose Red (2002), The Lion King (1997) and The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (2003).
Rafiki (The Lion King on Broadway)
77. Rowan Atkinson
Actor | Johnny English
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson was born on 6 January, 1955, in Consett, Co. Durham, UK, to Ella May (Bainbridge) and Eric Atkinson. His father owned a farm, where Rowan grew up with his two older brothers, Rupert and Rodney. He attended Newcastle University and Oxford University where he earned degrees ...
Zazu (The Lion King - 1994)
78. Edward Hibbert
Actor | The Prestige
Edward Hibbert was born on September 9, 1955 in Long Island, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for The Prestige (2006), Earthworm Jim (1995) and The First Wives Club (1996).
Zazu (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, The Lion King 1 1/2)
79. Jeff Bennett
Actor | Enchanted
Jeff Bennett is an American voice actor who is well-known for voicing Johnny Bravo (based on Elvis Presley's voice), Dr. Hamsterviel from Lilo & Stitch, Kowalski from The Penguins of Madagascar, Petrie in The Land Before Time, Ted Shackleford (The Man in the Yellow Hat) from Curious George, ...
Zazu (The Lion Guard) Toucan Dan (Timon & Pumbaa) The Three Natives (Timon & Pumbaa)
80. John Oliver
Writer | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
John Oliver was born on April 23, 1977 in Birmingham, England, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014), The Lion King (2019) and The Smurfs (2011). He has been married to Kate Norley since October 2011. They have two children.
Zazu (The Lion King - 2019)
81. Geoff Hoyle
Actor | Popeye
Geoff Hoyle is known for Popeye (1980), Smooth Talk (1985) and The Lion King (1997).
Zazu (The Lion King on Broadway)
82. Nathan Lane
Actor | The Producers
Nathan Lane is an American actor and singer from New Jersey who is known for playing Timon from The Lion King, Spot Helperman/Scott Leadready II from Teacher's Pet, Max Bialystock from The Producers, Snowball from Stuart Little, Hamegg from Astro Boy and Ernie Smuntz from Mouse Hunt. He is married ...
Timon (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, The Lion King 1 1/2, Timon & Pumbaa)
83. Billy Eichner
Actor | Bros
Billy Eichner was born on September 18, 1978 and raised in New York City. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School (NY) in 1996. He is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he majored in Theater.
He is the star, executive producer and creator of Billy on the Street (2011), a comedy game show ...
Timon (The Lion King - 2019)
84. Max Casella
Actor | Tulsa King
Max Casella was born in Washington D.C. to David Deitch, a fiercely political journalist and second-generation Jewish immigrant to The Bronx, and Doris Casella, a social worker and activist from Long Island and daughter of Italian fashion designer John Casella.
His father's writing for The Boston ...
Timon (The Lion King on Broadway)
85. Kevin Schon
Actor | The Lion Guard
Kevin Schon was born on February 7, 1958 in San Diego County, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Lion Guard (2015), Jack and the Beanstalk (2009) and Skylanders: Trap Team (2014). He was previously married to Suzanne Dudley Schon.
Timon (The Lion Guard) Bellow Fellow 2 (The Lion Guard) Chungu (The Lion Guard) Thurston (The Lion Guard)
86. Ernie Sabella
Actor | The Lion King
Ernie Sabella is an American actor and singer from Westchester County, New York who is widely known for voicing Pumbaa the Warthog, Timon's best friend from The Lion King franchise except for the 2019 reboot. He also acted in Mouse Hunt, That's So Raven, In & Out, Cheers, and Seinfeld. He is ...
Pumbaa (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, The Lion King 1 1/2, The Lion Guard)
87. Seth Rogen
Producer | This Is the End
An actor, comedian and writer, Seth Rogen has come a long way from doing stand-up comedy as a teen.
Rogen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Sandy (Belogus), a social worker, and Mark Rogen, who worked for non-profits. His father is American-born and his mother is Canadian. He is of Russian...
Pumbaa (The Lion King - 2019)
88. Tom Alan Robbins
Actor | Five Questions
Tom Alan Robbins was born on March 29, 1954 in Manhattan, New York, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Five Questions (2023), Pocahontas (1995) and The Swan Princess (1994).
Pumbaa (The Lion King on Broadway)
89. Madge Sinclair
Actress | Coming to America
Madge Sinclair was born Madge Dorita Walters on April 28, 1938 in Kingston, Jamaica, married young and had two sons. Madge worked as a teacher in Jamaica until she was 30. She left her two boys with their father and moved in 1968 to New York City to be an actress.
She began modeling and later acted ...
Sarabi (The Lion King - 1994)
90. Alfre Woodard
Actress | Star Trek: First Contact
Alfre Woodard was born on November 8, 1952 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the youngest of three children of Constance, a homemaker, and Marion H. Woodard, an interior designer. She was named by her godmother, who claimed she saw a vision of Alfre's name written out in gold letters. A former high school ...
Sarabi (The Lion King - 2019)
91. Gina Breedlove
Actress | Chi-Raq
Gina Breedlove is known for Chi-Raq (2015), The Lion King (1997) and NBA 2K16 (2015).
Sarabi (The Lion King on Broadway)
92. Whoopi Goldberg
Actress | Ghost
Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in the Chelsea section of Manhattan on November 13, 1955. Her mother, Emma (Harris), was a teacher and a nurse, and her father, Robert James Johnson, Jr., was a clergyman. Whoopi's recent ancestors were from Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. She worked in...
Shenzi (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King 1 1/2)
93. Tracy Nicole Chapman
Actress | Across the Universe
Tracy Nicole Chapman is known for Across the Universe (2007), The Lion King (1997) and Grand Theft Auto V (2013).
Shenzi (The Lion King on Broadway)
94. Florence Kasumba
Actress | Captain America: Civil War
Born in Kampala, Uganda Florence Kasumba is a German actress living in Berlin. She is best known for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe productions Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021). She has ...
Shenzi (The Lion King - 2019)
95. Cheech Marin
Actor | Born in East L.A.
Cheech Marin was born on July 13, 1946 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Born in East L.A. (1987), Tin Cup (1996) and Up in Smoke (1978). He has been married to Natasha Rubin since August 8, 2009. He was previously married to Rikki Marin and Patti Heid.
Banzai (The Lion King - 1994, The Lion King 1 1/2)
96. Stanley Mathis
Actor | Shame
Stanley Mathis was born on December 1, 1955. He is an actor and director, known for Shame (2011), Percy & Caesar (2019) and The Lion King (1997).
Banzai (The Lion King on Broadway)
97. Kevin Cahoon
Actor | GLOW
Kevin Cahoon was born on July 21, 1971 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is an actor and director, known for GLOW (2017), Monarch (2022) and A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017).
Ed (The Lion King on Broadway)
Note: Jim Cummings voiced Ed in the 1994 version, he appears earlier in the list among actors who played Scar.
98. Eric André
Actor | The Eric Andre Show
Eric Samuel André is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, television host and writer. He is best known as the creator, host, and co-writer of the Adult Swim comedy series The Eric Andre Show (2012-present). He also played Mike on the FXX series Man Seeking Woman (2015-2017) and voiced ...
Azizi (The Lion King - 2019)
99. Keegan-Michael Key
Actor | Keanu
Keegan-Michael Key was born in Southfield, Michigan and raised in Detroit. He was adopted as a child by a black father and a white mother. In 1989, he graduated from Shrine Catholic High School in Royal Oak, Michigan. Key attended the University of Detroit Mercy as an undergraduate and earned his ...
Kamari (The Lion King - 2019)
100. Zoe Leader
Actress | The Lion King
Zoe Leader has only appeared in the Disney movie The Lion King (1994) and its sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998). She has exactly one line in each movie. Zoe was born in Los Angeles, California and has lived there for most of her life until her death in 2015.
Sarafina (The Lion King - 1994)
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