Aaron Pierre chats with The Hollywood Reporter at the 'Mufasa: The Lion King' premiere and dishes on playing the role of Mufasa and stepping into James Earl Jones' shoes. Hear why he calls James a "hero" of his since the very beginning.
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00:0030 years from the original, what was it like stepping into this universe?
00:06Wow, just a gift.
00:10It's just been a beautiful gift and a blessing that is not missed on me.
00:15And I feel very grateful to be having the opportunity,
00:19to have had the opportunity to contribute to this legacy in any way that I can.
00:24What was it like for you?
00:26Because now we're learning a little bit more about the brotherhood between you
00:29and Scar, so what was that like kind of tapping into that side of Mufasa?
00:34Wow, I think for me one of the most beautiful
00:39components of this film is the exploration
00:46of the personal relationships within our lives.
00:50How do we preserve them? How do we nurture them?
00:53How do we value them in the way that is entirely necessary in order to maintain
00:58them? That's one of the themes that is very
01:00important to me and is very present in this film.
01:03And I'm excited for people to engage with that element of it.
01:08I'm absolutely excited and I know you said that Mufasa has been such a pillar,
01:12like you described him as a pillar in previous interviews.
01:15So now that this origin story is taking place, what have you learned about him?
01:18And what words would you use to describe him now?
01:22Well, I mean, I will always say that Mufasa is
01:26a pinnacle of strength and love and community.
01:32And I discovered that not only is that true, but I now have a
01:37deeper belief in that because I understand where he originated. He was
01:42separated from his pride, he was an orphan,
01:46he was ostracized, he was degraded, dismissed, and despite all of this
01:50he is still keeping that at the forefront of his mind and I
01:55think that's a beautiful thing. I love that. And James Earl Jones, I know
02:00you once mentioned he was an inspiration for you. What was it like
02:03stepping into his shoes for this role? James Earl
02:08Jones is a hero of mine, of course within the context of Mufasa
02:11the Lion King, but he has been a hero of mine from the
02:14very beginning, way before I even turned professional. He is the top of the
02:18mountain. So I hope that I was able to serve the
02:21character that he originated and I hope that I was able to make him
02:24proud. And lastly, what do you want families and kids to get out of this one?
02:29Honestly, whatever they take away from it is their truth.
02:32I just hope that people experience a joyful experience
02:36and have a wonderful time this holiday season, whether they see it with their
02:39loved ones or on their own.