For 17 months, David D’Lancy Wilson has remained on the throne as king.
King of Pride Rock, that is.
The actor joined the cast of “The Lion King” in his native Toronto, Canada, in 2024, taking on the iconic role of Mufasa in the stage play adaptation of the 1994 Disney animated movie.
In November, Wilson was able to bring his performance to a wider audience, joining the North American tour cast as Mufasa. The production made its way to Detroit earlier this month and will wrap up its run at the Detroit Opera House on Sunday.
Wilson was drawn to the character because he grew up on the movie and recognized it was a special story.
“The animated film was in theaters while I was still a child. At that point in time, “The Lion King” was one of the few Black stories that were being told,” he said. “And as a father, being able to play Mufasa was something that I really couldn’t pass up.
“The Lion King” debuted on Broadway in 1997, with the first North American tour starting in 2002. In the last 24 years, the production has played more than 10,000 performances in over 90 cities, and welcomed more than 25 million theatergoers, making it North America’s longest-running and most-attended Broadway tour.
BridgeDetroit talked to Wilson, whose other theater credits include “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and “Hairspray.” He discussed what is special about Mufasa, how he uses his experience of being a father for the role and how he got his start in acting.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
BridgeDetroit: Mufasa was played by the late James Earl Jones in the 1994 animated film and the 2019 remake. How do you put your own spin on the character?
Wilson: That is definitely something that I don’t take lightly:James Earl Jones being a person who popularized Mufasa and made him the way he is. I also got to give a shout-out to Samuel E. Wright. He was the first Mufusa on Broadway. He was also Sebastian the crab in “The Little Mermaid.”
So, you’ve got two gargantuan figures in this world (of “The Lion King.”) It’s a huge honor being able to play a role that both of these gentlemen occupied at one point in time and have made so popular. But I think the beauty behind my story of Mufasa is I get to bring my dad energy to it. I have two boys who are four years old and 17 months. I have the honor of being a dad on stage and being a dad at home.
They (Disney) had originally made Mufasa a little older, and as the story has changed, one of the beautiful tragedies that has been implemented is making Mufasa younger so that you really understand the tragedy behind the loss Simba is feeling. It’s not just that he lost his dad, but he lost a young dad at such a young age. And so, the hard thing to think about is, I can only imagine if my boys were to lose their father at such a young age, what that would do and how that would really shift their story. The beauty behind my Mufasa is that I make it very personal. The elements and things that Mufasa deals with for Simba are things that I have to either work up the courage to talk about or things like the joys and pleasures of teaching in the moment.
BridgeDetroit: What are some of the challenges of playing Mufasa?
Wilson: While I bring the energy of being a dad, and while I bring my ability to connect to Simba, I think it’s more important to keep the two worlds separate. The more that I play this role, the more I understand the challenges that actors sometimes face when separating the two. As a trained professional actor, my job is to bring this story to life without it, for lack of a better word, perverting actual life. And so, when you get into some of these roles and get very comfortable doing it for a long time, sometimes that level of formality sort of gets blended. That would probably be the greatest challenge, between that and just making sure that my voice is healthy all the time or that I am healthy all the time in order to do this show. The reality of the situation is that we’re on tour, and we go from city to city, sometimes going from hot to cold weather, and that can take a toll on the body. A very real example of that is when we went from Chicago to Denver. It was about adjusting to the altitude. What was once easy to do physically – jumping, running and delivering dialog – became extremely challenging with the altitude. You still have to deliver your lines with as much power, gravitas and volume, but you’re starting to catch your breath. So, those are the other challenges, the very physical nature of the show as it moves from place to place.
BridgeDetroit: What has it been like working with Josiah Watson and Aaron Chao (who play young Simba), Peter Hargrave (Scar) and the rest of the cast?
Wilson: It’s a dream. These folks are really talented. They’re great people to work with, really cool friends. The other thing as well, when you’re on tour, is for the most part you’re living with these folks. We eat breakfast together, have lunch together. My kids call them (the cast) their uncles and aunties.
BridgeDetroit: How did you get into acting? Was it something you’ve been interested in since you were a kid?
Wilson: My very first foray into the world of acting from a professional perspective was background work as a child, like photo doubling and stand-in work. My first project was (the 2002 Denzel Washington film) “John Q.” It was shot in Toronto, fun fact. Once you catch the bug, it’s very hard to let go. I’m also a middle child, so I think us middle children are natural performers. And so, the joy and the love for art has always been there.
In class, I was the class clown, and I loved being the center of attention. So, I think it was something that was sort of written in the stars and meant to be. I will say that I was surprised to know that this was the job that would take me to work in the States. I always thought in my mind that it would be film and television, but I’m really glad that it’s a show that is so close and so near and dear to my heart.
BridgeDetroit: What are some of your favorite songs in the show?
Wilson: It rotates. Sometimes, it’s the “Circle of Life,” sometimes it’s “Shadowland.” But my all-time favorite would be “He Lives in You,” where Rafiki sings to Simba in the second act. Watching it on stage, it’s such a beautiful moment because it’s a celebration of culture and of ancestry. When all the ancestors are dancing on the stage…between the costumes, the storytelling, the choreography and the music, it’s such an explosion of feelings that you can’t help but enjoy.
There are five more performances of “The Lion King” remaining at the Detroit Opera House. Get tickets here.