The Lion King's James Earl Jones receives a loving tribute in Mufasa

Before Aaron Pierre knew who he was, he felt James Earl Jones in his soul.

While Pierre plays a young Mufasa in the Disney prequel Mufasa: The Lion King (now in theaters), Jones originated the iconic role in the original 1994 animated classic The Lion King. London-born Pierre, 30, remembers seeing it “when I was three or four years old” and “I just felt this voice that was full of warmth and love, but also strength and clarity.”

“He really is the king. It was just a great honor and privilege to have the opportunity to make a small contribution to this legacy.”

Jones, the screen and stage legend who died Sept. 9 at age 93, was on the minds of “Mufasa” stars and filmmakers during filming – and still is. Before “Mufasa” even begins, director Barry Jenkins includes a tribute card that reads “In Memory of James Earl Jones,” with Jones’ distinctive voice delivering his character’s lines from the first film. (He also voiced Mufasa for the 2019 remake.)

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“We wanted to express right from the start that James Earl Jones is so important to the legacy of The Lion King (and) to so many generations of moviegoers by acknowledging that this is the energy in which we live walk. That’s the spirit.” “We’re doing this film,” says the director.

“I grew up without a traditional father figure and that’s why you look for father figures like that in the world,” adds Jenkins, recalling the scene from the original film in which Mufasa risks his life to save son Simba. “This is imprinted on generations of children, adults and citizens of all languages and cultures. To me he always symbolized the idea of greatness, of leadership, of someone who lived a life that was noble in his actions and not just in his title.”

In addition to “The Lion King,” Jones was famous for his film roles in “Coming to America,” “Field of Dreams,” and the “Star Wars” films, and he was also a legendary actor in the theater world. This work is what most inspires “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote new original songs for “Mufasa.”

He met with Jones several times, but the most memorable for Miranda was the time in 2009 when they drove “in a van” from New York City to Washington to perform for President Barack Obama’s evening of poetry, music and spoken word at the White A house. Jones delivered a monologue from Shakespeare’s “Othello” while Miranda debuted the first song from his in-progress “The Hamilton Mixtape” – which would become the opening number of his hugely popular Broadway show.

“It was one of the greatest days of my life,” says Miranda. “I saw him every time he performed on Broadway and he always remembered that moment and how scared I was. Given his seriousness and his incredible gift as an instrument, he was still so playful. He could be Darth Vader or Mufasa And the king of Zamunda. The entire universe is in his performances.”

Pierre was also impressed by Jones’ theater work. He once saw him on stage opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Much Ado About Nothing at London’s Old Vic Theater in 2013, “and it was beautiful just to see him live. His presence is something that just echoes in the room. “It’s noticeable,” says Pierre: “He was always, long before I became a professional, someone from whom I drew enormous inspiration and who was the top of the mountain for me.”

Such is Pierre’s love for Jones that he estimates he has “probably two-thirds the views” of a YouTube clip of Jones starring opposite Courtney B. Vance in the Broadway production of August Wilson’s “Fences.” shows a fiery performance.

“I watched it over and over again, paying attention to the nuances and the details. How he beats his chest, why he beats his chest at that moment. He’s so quiet, but it feels like he’s vibrating on stage,” says Pierre. “That’s the man there.”

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