Mufasa: The Lion King star Aaron Pierre is set to star in the titular role of the upcoming Barry Jenkins movie, and paid tribute to the late James Earl Jones as a “guiding light” to not only the role, but his career overall.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ and TotalFilm, Pierre praised Jones as a hero of his, and said that he was one of Pierre’s greatest inspirations while growing up as an actor.
“James Earl Jones is a hero of mine, and a hero of many,” Pierre said. “”He was one of my greatest inspirations, from his stage work to his extensive filmography, to his voice work. He’s timeless. We celebrate him. We champion him. And he’ll be greatly missed.”
What did Aaron Pierre say about James Earl Jones?
Although Jones was never set to appear in the upcoming live-action Mufasa film, Pierre still said he used Jones’ work as the original 1994 The Lion King as a big source of inspiration and a “guiding light.”
“In regards to this, his portrayal of Mufasa was my guiding light, actually. It gave me clarity. It gave me direction. It gave me insight. I think my greatest challenge was to discover the adolescent version of this Lion King who has an abundance of wisdom and understanding and perspective. What was the trajectory of that lion? How did that lion arrive at that place? That was my greatest challenge. And I’m very grateful to Barry [Jenkins] for guiding me on that journey.”
Pierre, like many, grew up with Jones’ voice being a mainstay in several of the most iconic movies of all time. Specifically talking about his role as Mufasa, Pierre praised the role, and said it also felt like Mufasa was “everyone’s dad.”
“I’ve heard a lot of people say when discussing The Lion King that Mufasa, to them, feels like everyone’s dad. That was true to me as well.”
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Mufasa: The Lion King is set to release on December 20, 2024. Alongside Pierre, the film will also star Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Tiffany Boone, Donald Glover, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Blue Ivy Carter, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.
(Source: GamesRadar+/Total Film)
