Foleke Olofeiko
Getty ImagesCheap flake It's just like we When it comes to watching Mufasa's heartbreaking death in 1994 The lion king.
“Then first The lion king (Film), I never made myself emotionally available for any movie again,” Olufovoyeko, 41, joked. Us Weekly In an exclusive interview while promoting her new film Mufasa: The Lion King. “After Mustafa died in the original, I haven't seen anything sadder since.”
The original The lion king An emotional matter for many people thanks to the tragic scene in which young Simba appeared (Jonathan Taylor Thomas(His father Mufasa testifies)James Earl Jones ), he falls into a stampede and dies at the hands of his evil uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons).
“I had never been to America before in my life. I remember being very emotionally affected by his death Mufasa, You know, it was a great story we. “And I already had cats at the time. Family and pets. I still do. I have a cat named Aisha. She's like my personality,” she said. “She's a white cat with blue eyes as well… It's just a full circle moment in so many different ways.”
Mufasa: The Lion King Serves as a sequel to the 2019 live-action remake It tells the origin story Mufasa. For Olówófôyekù, the films were personal, as she watched the original in her native Nigeria. Now, “it's a full circle moment” to join the story, as you play Amara, a member of the White Lioness and sister to Aqua (Joanna Jones) and Kyros (Mads Mikkelsen).
Foleke Olofeiko
Getty ImagesOlówófôyekù is the first Nigerian person with a Nigerian accent to be included in films, and the actress explained how representing her culture has been a “biggest motivation” for her in her career.
“Nigerians are not very expressive. We are not very empathetic,” Olówófôyekù said. “So, I would say maybe one or two people out of hundreds of family members who express their pride. But I'm sure they feel proud.”
monitoring Mufasa It helped Olówófôyekù connect with her inner child — and it was a very different experience than it was in 1994. “For this experience, I was like a big kid in the movie theater,” she said. “Especially hearing my voice. I was smiling through it all. I was dancing.”
The film features a star-studded cast including Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eicher, Beyoncé And for her Girl Blue Ivy Carter. However, Olówófôyekù was unaware that Blue Ivy – or anyone else – was on board because “everything was top secret.”
“I didn't even know who was in the movie when I was cast. We were kind of isolated in our own rooms recording with as little artwork as possible.” we. “So I relied on my love for the type of cat to photograph.”
With reporting by Travis Cronin
Mufasa: The Lion King Now in theaters.
