Aaron Pierre, who stars as Mufasa in the upcoming Barry Jenkins movie, paid tribute to the late James Earl Jones as a guiding light for not only his role but his career as well. In an interview with GamesRadar+ and TotalFilm, Pierre expressed his admiration for Jones, calling him a hero and one of his greatest inspirations 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.”
Although James Earl Jones was not set to appear in the live-action Mufasa film, Pierre used Jones’ portrayal of Mufasa in the original 1994 animated film as a source of inspiration and a guiding light for his own performance.
“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,” Pierre shared. “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 also reflected on the impact of James Earl Jones’ voice in iconic movies and specifically as Mufasa, describing the character as feeling like a father figure to many.
“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.”
Mufasa: The Lion King is scheduled for release on December 20, 2024. The star-studded cast includes 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)
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