The Lion King 3DAn Interview with Robert Guillaume
by Wilson Morales
September 26, 2011
While it’s been some time since we last saw him in a prominent role, Robert Guillaume will always be known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series ‘Soap‘ and the spin-off ‘Benson,’ and well as voicing the mandrill Rafiki in ‘The Lion King,’ which is back in theaters in 3D format and has been #1 at the box office for the last two weeks.
Not bad for a film that came out in 1994 and has sold millions of copies on VHS and DVD. Guillaume also voiced the character in the its sequels and spin-offs.
In speaking with Blackfilm.com, the two-time Emmy winner spoke about the glory that ‘The Lion King’ continues to acheive and his contribution to the film.
How excited are you to hear that after 17 years since its release, ‘The Lion King’ has been #1 for two straight weeks?
Robert Guillaume: It’s daunting. It’s nice to know people still like something I did over 15 years ago.
What were your thoughts when you heard that the film was going to be converted to 3D?
RG: We didn’t talk about it. Actually no one talked to me about it. When I heard about it, I said it sounded like a good idea. I didn’t know how it would turn out. I went to see a couple of weeks ago at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. I liked it very much and had the good fortune to taking a young person with me and they see it entirely as fully as it can be seen. They react to it and this story touches them in such a deep way, especially with the death of Mufasa and the saga of Little Simba. I don’t know but it resonates deeply with younger viewers.
How often do you go out and see films in 3D?
RG: Not much at all. I did that when I was younger. My first encounter with 3D was in the 1940s. I must say that it hasn’t changed much.
Going back a bit, what was the attraction to voicing this character?
RG: Prior to this film, I hadn’t ever done a voice-over role. Like any self-absorbed actor, when they asked me to be in it, I fantasized about who they wanted me to play, and I thought it was the Lion King. No one had said anything to me specifically about the audition. When I got to the audition, it was a rude awakening when they said they wanted me to voice the monkey. They softened the blow as much as they could by stating the character is a mandrill. So, I said yes and the studio began to work on coming with a voice. The dialogue is nice but “what’s the voice?” How does he talk? That got to be a painful process because we tried different things that didn’t work. We spent 3-4 days searching for a voice and finally we came up with a sound that we liked.
After the film came out, how did it affect your career?
RG: I think it gave me a certain legitimacy in the business that I didn’t have before. People were impressed with this character that we had put together and it enhanced my career in that way.
What are you up to lately?
RG: I’ve been doing a book with a friend of mine. He interviewed me and I spoke off the cuff about the business and my relationship to it. It was a free-ranging interview and we decided after a while to put it into a book. We haven’t done it yet, but recently we met and decided to call it ‘Conversations with Robert Guillaume.’
