Why doesn't Nathan Lane voice Timon anymore?

[WhoseLineFan]

I have been wondering this question for a long time now and am curious to know why Nathan doesn't voice Timon The Meerkat in recent projects.

Instead, Kevin Schon does him instead. Why is that?

 

[fab1976]

I have wondered that myself, Ernie Sabella is still Pumbaa. Fans of the Lion Guard in this house! Love that James Earl Jones is Mufasa when his spirit shows up, and is going to be him in the life action version coming up!

 

[fab1976]

You know, Matthew Broderick could still be Simba too but isn't, Rob Lowe is instead. Same could be asked about that!

 

[WhoseLineFan]

I have wondered that myself, Ernie Sabella is still Pumbaa. Fans of the Lion Guard in this house! Love that James Earl Jones is Mufasa when his spirit shows up, and is going to be him in the life action version coming up!

I wonder if Nathan is retired from voice acting or something.

 

[WhoseLineFan]

You know, Matthew Broderick could still be Simba too but isn't, Rob Lowe is instead. Same could be asked about that!

Haven't heard him in any recent Lion King projects either.

 

[diznygirl]

It’s usually cost or scheduling.

 

[Missy1961]

He's been very busy on Broadway lately, so he might not have the time to do voice work.

 

[WhoseLineFan]

He's been very busy on Broadway lately, so he might not have the time to do voice work.

If I'm not mistaken, isn't he in something with Matthew?

 

[Missy1961]

If I'm not mistaken, isn't he in something with Matthew?

No, currently he's working on a revival of "Angels in America" with Andrew Garfield. He did "The Producers" with Matthew Broderick in 2001 and "The Odd Couple" in 2005.

 

[WhoseLineFan]

No, currently he's working on a revival of "Angels in America" with Andrew Garfield. He did "The Producers" with Matthew Broderick in 2001 and "The Odd Couple" in 2005.

Oops. Then I apologize.

 

[BrianL]

It’s usually cost or scheduling.

This is exactly it. Sometimes for these cartoons they can't get the big name guys they got for the movie. It costs more and requires more voice sessions if it is a regular thing. Sometimes the actors just don't want to do it either. Disney usually does a good job of getting them when they can though.

James Earl Jones seems like he's always up to record a line for Mufasa or Darth Vader, which is awesome! He's still going to voice Mufasa in the new "live action" Lion King, because, well, who else could?

 

[firefly_ris]

TV shows have a much lower budget and Nathan Lane is a bigger-name actor than Ernie Sabella, plus as mentioned Nathan does a lot of broadway production. He didn't voice Timon in the Timon & Pumbaa TV show from the 90's either, while Ernie reprised Pumbaa.

James Earl Jones only voiced Mufasa in the pilot episode of The Lion Guard ("Return of the Roar"), and they re-use his voice for the title card in each show, but otherwise he has been voiced by Gary Anthony Williams.

Rob Lowe is still the most bizarre choice to me for Simba... I just cannot get used to it (my kids watch the show sort of regularly, but I guess I'm the biggest Lion King fan in our household, lol). It conveys a completely different personality. I really wish they would have gotten Cam Clarke instead -- he has been voicing adult Simba in Broderick's place for many years on several projects and sounds VERY similar to him -- for example Cam voiced Simba in appearances on the Timon & Pumbaa show, he voices Simba in the Circle of Life show at Epcot, and sang for him ("We Are One") in The Lion King 2. I like Lowe in other projects but not this one. He delivers all of his lines very stiffly and doesn't show any of the occasional insecurity of Simba, nor the occasional playfulness. I don't get the choice at all.

 

[WhoseLineFan]

TV shows have a much lower budget and Nathan Lane is a bigger-name actor than Ernie Sabella, plus as mentioned Nathan does a lot of broadway production. He didn't voice Timon in the Timon & Pumbaa TV show from the 90's either, while Ernie reprised Pumbaa.

James Earl Jones only voiced Mufasa in the pilot episode of The Lion Guard ("Return of the Roar"), and they re-use his voice for the title card in each show, but otherwise he has been voiced by Gary Anthony Williams.

Rob Lowe is still the most bizarre choice to me for Simba... I just cannot get used to it (my kids watch the show sort of regularly, but I guess I'm the biggest Lion King fan in our household, lol). It conveys a completely different personality. I really wish they would have gotten Cam Clarke instead -- he has been voicing adult Simba in Broderick's place for many years on several projects and sounds VERY similar to him -- for example Cam voiced Simba in appearances on the Timon & Pumbaa show, he voices Simba in the Circle of Life show at Epcot, and sang for him ("We Are One") in The Lion King 2. I like Lowe in other projects but not this one. He delivers all of his lines very stiffly and doesn't show any of the occasional insecurity of Simba, nor the occasional playfulness. I don't get the choice at all.

Nathan actually did voice Timon for (very briefly) early episodes of the Timon & Pumbaa TV show, but that's it.

 

[BrianL]

Nathan actually did voice Timon for (very briefly) early episodes of the Timon & Pumbaa TV show, but that's it.

Yeah, they will often get the big name for the first few that they air as like a little movie (I don't know if they did that in this case, but same principle) then they switch to the cheaper, more available voice actor. Honestly, a lot of the time, you can't even tell. Some VAs are so very good at their jobs!

 

[WhoseLineFan]

Speak of the devil. Nathan is going back to acting on TV again.

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