Who voiced Mufasa?

Mufasa was voiced by James Earl Jones in the original The Lion King.

Jones’s deep, resonant voice gave Simba’s father the authority of a king while still allowing warmth in his scenes with his son. His performance became one of the film’s defining features, especially in Mufasa’s lessons about responsibility, the natural order and the “great kings of the past.”

Disney initially considered Sean Connery for the role, and Liam Neeson was also discussed, but Jones emerged as the stronger choice. He later explained that he first tried to sound especially regal before adjusting the performance to feel more like himself: a father who could be serious, affectionate and occasionally goofy.

Jones also returned as Mufasa for The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride and for the 2019 remake, making him the only original principal cast member to reprise his role in that remake. Jeremy Irons, one of the listed alternatives, voiced Scar—not Mufasa—in the 1994 film.