Tiffany Boone faced one of her biggest fears while voicing Sarabi in Disney’s upcoming prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King—singing in public.
Boone, 37, overcame a childhood phobia to perform “Tell Me It’s You”, the film’s love song, alongside Aaron Pierre (Mufasa). “I had a bit of a phobia about singing in front of people,” Boone admitted. “You’re in The Lion King, you have to sing, and the music is written by Lin-Manuel Miranda—it’s a lot of pressure.”
Her fear stemmed from a middle school talent show when her mother told her that people were laughing at her performance. “I decided I must not be very good and I stopped singing,” she shared.
Overcoming Fear with Support from Lin-Manuel Miranda
For Mufasa, Boone worked extensively with Miranda’s music team, who provided vocal training sessions. She even hired Doug Peck as a personal vocal coach and practiced with songs like “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog and Beyoncé tracks.
Miranda, who wrote seven new songs for the film, reassured Boone after hearing her sing “Tell Me It’s You”. “He popped in at the end on Zoom and had me sing again—no pressure,” she laughed. “After we were done, he was like, ‘That was perfect. That was beautiful.’”
Despite Miranda’s praise, Boone felt the weight of expectations when the music team compared “Tell Me It’s You” to The Lion King’s classic love ballad “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” “It’s one of the greatest Disney songs ever,” Boone said, acknowledging the challenge.
From Stage to Screen: Boone’s Journey to Mufasa
A lifelong Disney fan, Boone recalled how she would sing along to animated films at home—though her mother would often beg her to stop. Her performing ambitions started young, leading her to a performing arts high school and eventually a BFA in acting from CalArts.
Boone has since built a successful career in Hollywood, starring in Hunters, Nine Perfect Strangers, and The Big Cigar. But her path to voice acting wasn’t easy. “I actually quit auditioning for voiceover work a few years ago,” she admitted. “I only changed my mind because an audition came across my desk that said Lion King and was directed by Barry Jenkins.”
Now, with Mufasa: The Lion King hitting theaters this Friday, Boone’s voice will finally reach Disney audiences worldwide—proving she’s more than ready to take center stage.
