Beyoncé’s first starring voice role in a feature film was Nala in The Lion King.
Beyoncé voiced the adult Nala in Disney’s 2019 computer-animated remake of The Lion King. Nala is a lioness who was Simba’s childhood friend and later becomes his partner and queen. The character was voiced as a cub by Shahadi Wright Joseph, while Beyoncé performed the adult version.
The film was directed by Jon Favreau and uses photorealistic computer animation. It retells the story of Disney’s 1994 animated film, including Simba’s exile after the death of his father, Mufasa, and his eventual return to challenge Scar.
Beyoncé also contributed songs to the project. She curated and executive-produced the companion album The Lion King: The Gift, and she performed “Spirit,” an original song associated with the film. Nala is a character, not the title of Beyoncé’s role or a separate film.