The Lion King: Nathan Lane Reveals How Pumbaa Became Disney's First Farting Character
Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella remember The Lion King 30 years later.
This June marks 30 years since The Lion King was released in theaters. The animated film is a fan-favorite among Disney fans, and it sparked sequels, a Broadway show, a TV series, and even a live-action remake. There are many beloved characters in The Lion King, including Timon and Pumbaa, the meerkat and warthog voiced by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella. The duo recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly, and revealed how Pumbaa became Disney's first farting character.
"We were doing Guys and Dolls," Lane recalled. "So, we would record in the mornings sometimes, and we'd be a little sleepy. And Ernie, to entertain me during the recording, would make flatulent noises. While he was doing his dialogue, he would make fart sounds to make me laugh. And they eventually incorporated that into the character and the song."
"We did a five-show weekend, Friday, Saturday, Saturday, Sunday, Sunday," Sabella added. "And then we had an early morning Disney session, and we usually had a 10 o'clock session, but this time it was like a 9 o'clock session. So, we get there, and we're pretty beat up from five shows, and to get the ball rolling, I just started making these sounds as he was reading his lines. He kept laughing, going, 'Don't do that, don't do that.' I said, 'I'll stop.' And then I kept doing it. That's the story of how Pumbaa became the first and only Disney character with flatulence."
During the interview, Lane and Sabella also revealed they originally came in to audition for The Lion King's hyenas, and their chemistry led to the creation of Timon and Pumbaa.
"He came out from his audition, and I said, 'Could we read together?'" Lane explained. "'It'll be easier to do since it's three different characters, and we know each other. So, we went in and we improvised a bit and had a lot of fun."
"We got into this little phone booth, and we read the material, and knowing our rhythms and comic timing, we just took off," Sabella continued. "When we got done, I looked up and I saw [then-director] Roger Aller, and his mouth was open. He was just staring at us."
A few months later, the duo learned the iconic characters were being created just for them.
"They said they were developing these new characters called Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and a warthog, for us," Lane shared. "And that we would be the comic relief in this Shakespearean tale of lions."
"I'm so glad it turned out to be the defining character of my career," Sabella shared. " It's the greatest Disney movie of our time, and I think it'll be seen and enjoyed a hundred years from now."
Timon and Pumbaa are expected to appear in the upcoming film, Mufasa: The Lion King. However, the roles will be voiced by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, who also played the characters in the 2019 remake.
