Who Really Voiced the Cast in Lion King? The Names You Forgot

When you hear that first booming "Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba," your brain immediately goes to Pride Rock. It’s iconic. But honestly, the cast in Lion King is where the real magic happens, and most people only remember about three names. You've got James Earl Jones, obviously. Maybe you remember Matthew Broderick. But the 1994 original and the 2019 "live-action" remake actually boast some of the most bizarrely talented ensembles in Hollywood history. It isn't just a kids' movie; it’s a masterclass in vocal casting that changed how studios viewed voice acting forever.

Before The Lion King, Disney usually hired professional voice actors—people you wouldn’t recognize on the street but who had incredible range. Think back to The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast. But with the 1994 Pride Lands, things shifted. They started grabbing massive theater stars and sitcom legends.

The 1994 Cast in Lion King: A Weirdly Perfect Mix

James Earl Jones as Mufasa is non-negotiable. He’s the anchor. If you swap him out, the whole movie collapses. Interestingly, he and Madge Sinclair (who voiced Sarabi) actually played a king and queen once before in Coming to America. That’s the kind of meta-casting that makes the cast in Lion King feel so lived-in. You can feel the chemistry because they’d literally done the "royal" thing together years earlier.

Then there’s Jeremy Irons. He almost didn’t do it. He was worried about following up his Oscar win for Reversal of Fortune with a cartoon lion. Thank god he changed his mind. His performance as Scar is basically "Shakespeare with fur." He brought a thin, reedy, intellectual villainy that contrasted perfectly with Jones’s deep, vibrating bass. When Irons blew his voice out recording "Be Prepared," Jim Cummings—who was already playing Ed the hyena—had to step in and finish the last verse. Most people can't even tell the difference. That’s a wild bit of trivia that shows how much duct tape and genius went into the production.

The Broadway Influence You Might Have Missed

Matthew Broderick was the "it" guy for Simba, but he didn't sing. Nope. Joseph Williams, the son of legendary composer John Williams, did the singing for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." It’s a bit of a shocker when you realize the cast in Lion King is often two people for one character.

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Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella were actually auditioning for the roles of hyenas originally. Can you imagine Timon and Pumbaa as cackling villains? They were so funny together that director Roger Allers realized they were the heartbeat of the movie’s comedy. They recorded their lines in the same room, which was super rare for animation back then. Most of the time, actors are isolated in booths. By letting them riff, the directors got that genuine "old married couple" vibe that makes "Hakuna Matata" work.

Why the 2019 Cast in Lion King Polarized Everyone

Fast forward to 2019. Jon Favreau takes the helm. The cast in Lion King remake was a statement of pure power. Beyoncé? Donald Glover? John Oliver? It felt like a Met Gala guest list.

But here’s the thing: it’s hard to compete with nostalgia. Donald Glover is a genius, but his Adult Simba felt a little more reserved, maybe more "modern brooding," compared to Broderick’s 90s earnestness. And while Beyoncé as Nala brought a literal Queen to the role, some critics felt the photo-realistic animation didn’t allow her vocal power to translate into the character’s "face." It’s a weird disconnect. You hear the passion, but the lion on screen looks like a National Geographic documentary.

Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner: The New Guard

If there was one universal win in the 2019 version, it was the chemistry between Seth Rogen (Pumbaa) and Billy Eichner (Timon). They followed the Nathan Lane/Ernie Sabella blueprint by recording together. It paid off. They ad-libbed a huge chunk of their dialogue. When they’re arguing about the "theoretically" of a plan, that’s just two funny guys being funny.

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Chiwetel Ejiofor had the impossible task of following Jeremy Irons as Scar. He went for a more "battle-scarred general" vibe rather than a "sassy intellectual." It was darker. It felt more like Hamlet. Some loved the grit; others missed the camp. Honestly, that’s the beauty of looking at the cast in Lion King across decades—you get two totally different interpretations of the same Shakespearean tragedy.

The Hyenas: From Whoopi to Eric André

The hyena trio is where the casting gets truly experimental. In '94, Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin were a comedy powerhouse. Whoopi was at the peak of her fame, and putting her in a hyena skin was brilliant.

In the remake, they pivoted. Eric André and Keegan-Michael Key brought a frantic, chaotic energy. They weren't just "henchmen"; they felt like genuine threats who happened to be hilarious. Florence Kasumba as Shenzi in 2019 was a massive departure from Whoopi. She was terrifying. No jokes. No laughing. Just a leader of a starving army. It changed the stakes of the finale completely.

The Unsung Heroes of the Soundtrack

We can't talk about the cast in Lion King without mentioning Lebo M. He’s the South African composer and singer who provides that opening chant. Without him, the movie has no soul. Hans Zimmer, who did the score, actually sought Lebo M. out specifically because he wanted an authentic African sound, not just a Hollywood version of it.

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Then there's Rowan Atkinson as Zazu. People forget how funny he is as the "prim and proper" hornbill. John Oliver took over in 2019, basically playing a bird version of his Last Week Tonight persona. Both worked, but Atkinson’s high-pitched squawks are burned into the collective memory of every 90s kid.

Breaking Down the Key Roles (Then vs. Now)

• Mufasa: James Earl Jones (Both). He’s the only one they didn't dare replace. His voice is the literal voice of God in the Disney universe.
• Simba: Matthew Broderick ('94) vs. Donald Glover ('19). One is a Broadway belter (vocal-wise) and the other is a soulful R&B icon.
• Scar: Jeremy Irons ('94) vs. Chiwetel Ejiofor ('19). Silk vs. Gravel.
• Rafiki: Robert Guillaume ('94) vs. John Kani ('19). Guillaume gave us the "mystic prankster," while Kani felt more like a tribal elder.
• Nala: Moira Kelly ('94) vs. Beyoncé ('19). A sweet, supportive childhood friend vs. a literal warrior queen.

The Impact of This Casting Strategy

The cast in Lion King changed the industry. Before this, "celebrity voice acting" wasn't the default. After this? Every studio wanted a "name" for every role. Sometimes it works (like Robin Williams in Aladdin), and sometimes it’s just a marketing gimmick. In the case of The Lion King, the talent usually backed up the fame.

Whether you prefer the hand-drawn expressions of the original cast or the star-studded powerhouse of the remake, the DNA of the story remains the same. It's about legacy. It’s about the "Circle of Life." And it’s about a bunch of actors standing in a dark booth in Burbank, California, trying to sound like cats.

What You Should Do Next

If you really want to appreciate the work that went into the cast in Lion King, go find the "behind the scenes" recording booth footage on YouTube. Seeing Jeremy Irons contort his face to hit those Scar notes or watching Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella scream at each other is better than the movie itself sometimes.

Next time you watch, pay attention to the "breathing" and the "effort" sounds—the grunts when they jump or the sighs of relief. That’s where the real acting happens. You might also want to check out the Broadway cast recordings. The stage version uses a whole different set of vocal techniques that incorporate South African choral arrangements much more deeply than the films do. It's worth a listen just to hear how the characters evolve when they have to perform live eight times a week.