THE LION KING Actor Jeremy Irons Says He Was Unhappy With the "Mangy" Look of Scar and Said Disney "Don't Pay Very Much"
The Lion King is known for its striking animation, beautiful music, and iconic voices that have made it one of the most beloved animated Disney movies of all time.
The film’s success led to huge marketing and a Broadway musical, with its stars forever being associated with its popularity. One of those stars is open to talking about the process of making the film, but not everything he has to say about working for Disney is positive.
Jeremy Irons, known for his work on the stage and screen, having won an Academy Award, a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards, voiced the iconic villain in The Lion King, Scar. In a recent interview, Irons talked about his experience on, and after, the film, saying:
"I assumed that I would see a screen with a lion doing that, and I’d have to try to make my mouth do this, what his mouth was doing," Irons remembered them essentially creating the character of Scar during that process. As a result, he had no idea what the villain would look like until he attended the premiere.
He went on to say that he was "really upset" upon watching the movie because of how "muscular and wonderful" the good lion Musafa looked compared to Scar, who was "mangy looking" with a "terrible tail and terrible mane. Is that what they saw when they were [sketching me]?" he said, revealing his thoughts at the time. Later, he acknowledged that it obviously wasn't the case.
The actor went on to say that he was disheartened when he saw how happy the audience was when Scar was killed. Despite that, Irons still looks back on the experience in a positive light, and revealed that former Disney producer and CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg later told him that Scar was a "big part" of The Lion King's success.
This led Irons to believe he may have some kind of bonus heading his way. He recalled:
"Jeffrey Katzenberg called me at the house I was staying in Italy and said, 'The Lion King is a huge success and a big part of that is your character' And I was very pleased and hoped that I’d get something in the post as a thank you because I remember, who played Mrs. Doubtfire—Robin Williams.
“That’s right. Robin did work for Disney. Now Disney don’t pay very much money. I mean, they don’t. And Robin called them up and said, after Mrs. Doubtfire, I’ve made a fortune for your company and you paid me a tiny fee.
“And in the post, he got a Picasso," Irons revealed. "I hoped maybe Jeffrey would put sand in his pocket. But he didn’t. Anyway, they were very pleased with me. But no, I didn’t get a Picasso."
That’s pretty wild to hear that Williams was paid by way of priceless painting, but Hollywood is a crazy place. I’m glad to hear that Irons ended up feeling like his performance was worth the hassle, as he did a great job and fans will always equate that iconic voice with the character Scar.