Disney’s 2001 animated series was kind of a gamble. Coming off the massive success of the 1999 feature film, the studio had to figure out how to keep that lush, cinematic energy alive on a TV budget while keeping the "feel" of the characters consistent. Most people remember the Phil Collins soundtrack from the movie, but when you dig into The Legend of Tarzan series cast, you realize the real magic was in the voice booth. It wasn't just a carbon copy of the film. It was a weird, wonderful expansion of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ world that managed to snag some seriously heavy hitters from Hollywood.
Honestly, the transition from film to television is usually where these properties fall apart. You lose the big-name stars, the animation gets choppy, and the soul of the story disappears. But this show was different. It felt like a direct continuation.
The Man in the Loincloth: Michael T. Weiss Takes the Lead
When Tony Goldwyn didn't return to voice the King of the Jungle, the production team had a massive hole to fill. They landed on Michael T. Weiss. If you were watching TV in the late 90s, you definitely knew him as Jarod from The Pretender.
Weiss brought something slightly grittier to the role. While Goldwyn's Tarzan was a man discovering his humanity for the first time, Weiss voiced a Tarzan who was settled into his role as a protector. He had to balance that animalistic "Hrrn" grunt with a growing English vocabulary. He didn't just imitate Goldwyn; he made the character feel a bit more mature, which fit the show's monster-of-the-week vibe. He sounds authoritative. He sounds like someone who actually lives in a tree.
It’s interesting because Tarzan in this series is basically a superhero. He's fighting dinosaurs, rogue scholars, and even telepathic aliens at one point. Weiss had to sell the physical strain of those fights through his voice alone. It worked.
Keeping the Charm: Olivia d'Abo as Jane Porter
Replacing Minnie Driver is no easy task. Driver's Jane was quirky, breathless, and incredibly British. For the series, they brought in Olivia d'Abo.
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You might know her as the rebellious older sister from The Wonder Years, but her voice work here is actually top-tier. She captured that "fish out of water" energy perfectly. Jane in the series isn't just a damsel; she’s an amateur scientist and a diplomat. D’Abo played her with a sense of wonder that never felt annoying.
The Professor and the Comic Relief
Jeff Bennett stepped in as Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, taking over for Nigel Hawthorne. Bennett is a legend in the voice-acting world—you’ve heard him in everything from Johnny Bravo to Dexter's Laboratory. He kept the Professor's bumbling, high-energy persona alive.
Then you have the animal sidekicks. This is where things stayed consistent. April Winchell returned as Terk. She has one of the most recognizable raspy voices in the industry. Her chemistry with Jim Cummings, who took over as Tantor (originally voiced by Wayne Knight), provided the heartbeat of the show. Cummings is basically the Michael Jordan of voice acting. He can do anything. His Tantor was neurotic, phobia-ridden, and somehow still the bravest guy in the group when it counted.
The Villains and New Faces
What really made The Legend of Tarzan series cast stand out was the guest list. The show didn't just stick to the main five characters. It expanded the lore.
- La of Opar: Voiced by Diahann Carroll. This was a stroke of genius. Carroll brought a regal, menacing elegance to the High Priestess of the lost city. She was arguably the most complex villain in the show’s run.
- Samuel T. Philander: Voiced by Craig Ferguson. Long before he was a late-night talk show host, Ferguson was voicing the Professor’s academic rival. He brought a snarky, jealous energy that was a great foil to the Porters' earnestness.
- Renard Dumont: Voiced by René Auberjonois. The late, great Auberjonois (of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fame) played the slick, opportunistic French businessman who ran the local trading post.
Most people forget that even Jason Alexander popped up in the series as Zuutari. The show was a magnet for character actors who wanted to play in Disney's sandbox.
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Why the Voice Casting Mattered So Much
Animation in the early 2000s was at a crossroads. We were moving away from the "Disney Afternoon" style and toward something a bit more serialized and action-heavy. If the cast hadn't been this strong, the show likely would have been forgotten as a cheap spin-off.
Instead, it felt like an ensemble drama.
Think about the episode "Tarzan and the British Invasion." You have Tarzan trying to navigate the expectations of "civilized" society. The nuance Weiss puts into his voice—the hesitation, the slight discomfort—it tells a story that the animation sometimes couldn't fully express. That’s the hallmark of a great voice cast. They fill in the gaps.
Factual Breakdown: The Cast List
If you're looking for the quick roster of who was behind the mic for the 39-episode run:
Tarzan: Michael T. Weiss
Jane Porter: Olivia d'Abo
Professor Porter: Jeff Bennett
Terk: April Winchell
Tantor: Jim Cummings
Kala: Gladys Knight (Yes, the "Empress of Soul" herself took over for Glenn Close)
Kerchak: Lance Henriksen (Appearing in flashbacks, keeping his role from the film)
Flynt and Mungo: Erik von Detten and Jason Marsden
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Wait, let's talk about Gladys Knight for a second. Replacing Glenn Close is a tall order. Close's Kala was the emotional anchor of the original movie. Knight brought a different kind of warmth—a soulful, maternal gravitas that really grounded the scenes where Tarzan felt caught between two worlds. It’s one of those "if you know, you know" pieces of trivia that makes the show better in retrospect.
The Legacy of the Jungle
The show didn't last forever, but it did spawn the direct-to-video movie Tarzan & Jane. Most of the series cast returned for that, ensuring a sense of continuity that Disney usually ignored in that era.
What people often get wrong is thinking that the TV show was "lesser" because the original movie stars didn't all return. In reality, the TV cast had more time to inhabit these roles. They did 39 episodes. They explored Tarzan’s marriage, his leadership of the gorilla troop, and his relationship with the local Waziri tribe. By the end of the series, Michael T. Weiss felt just as much like Tarzan as Tony Goldwyn did.
How to Revisit the Legend
If you're looking to dive back into this world, the best way is to watch with an ear for the performance. Notice how Jim Cummings manages to make a five-ton elephant sound like a nervous toddler. Listen to the way Olivia d'Abo handles the increasingly scientific jargon Jane uses as she adapts to the jungle.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
- Streaming: The entire series is currently available on Disney+. It’s often tucked away in the "Disney Channel" or "Legacy" sections.
- Cross-Reference: If you’re a fan of the voice actors, check out the Kingdom Hearts video game series. While the "Deep Jungle" world is based on the film, the DNA of these performances carries over into how the characters were handled in other media.
- Deep Dive: Look for the "Tarzan & Jane" movie, which is actually just three episodes of the series edited together with new framing footage. It features the same core cast and is a good "greatest hits" if you don't want to watch the whole show.
- The Burroughs Connection: While the Disney series takes liberties, many of the cast members (like those playing La or the Waziri) are playing characters straight out of the original 1912 novels. Comparing the voice performances to the book descriptions adds a whole new layer of appreciation for the casting directors' choices.
The series remains a high point for Disney’s television animation department, largely because they didn't skimp on the talent. They knew that to make the jungle feel real, the voices had to carry the weight of the trees.