The People Behind The Lion King

Rob Minkoff was born on 11 August 1962 in Palo Alto, California, USA. He is a producer and director, known for The Lion King (1994), Stuart Little 2 (2002) and The Forbidden Kingdom (2008). He has been married to Crystal Kung Minkoff since 29 September 2007. They have two children.

Roger Allers is an American animated film director and writer who is known for co-directing the influential 1994 Disney musical film The Lion King. He also worked on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. He was intended to direct the musical drama Kingdom of the Sun, which got retooled into the 2000 comedy The Emperor's New Groove.

Darrell Rooney is known for Aladdin (1992), Tron (1982) and A Goofy Movie (1995).

Bradley Raymond is known for Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), The Lion King 1½ (2004) and Planes (2013).

Initially an indie film favorite, actor Jon Favreau has progressed to strong mainstream visibility into the millennium and, after nearly two decades in the business, is still enjoying character stardom as well as earning notice as a writer/producer/director.

The amiable, husky-framed actor with the tight, crinkly hair was born in Queens, New York on October 19, 1966, the only child of Madeleine (Balkoff), an elementary school teacher, and Charles Favreau, a special education teacher. His father has French-Canadian, German, and Italian ancestry, and his mother was from a Russian Jewish family. He attended the Bronx High School of Science before furthering his studies at Queens College in 1984. Dropping out just credits away from receiving his degree, Jon moved to Chicago where he focused on comedy and performed at several Chicago improvisational theaters, including the ImprovOlympic and the Improv Institute. He also found a couple of bit parts in films.

While there, he earned another bit role in the film, Rudy (1993), and met fellow cast mate Vince Vaughn. Their enduring personal friendship would play an instrumental role in furthering both their professional careers within just a few years. Jon broke into TV with a role on the classic series, Seinfeld (1989) (as "Eric the Clown"). After filming rudimentary roles in the movies Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994), Notes from Underground (1995) and Batman Forever (1995), he decided to do some risk taking by writing himself and friend Vaughn into what would become their breakthrough film. Swingers (1996), which he also co-produced, centers on Jon as a luckless, struggling actor type who is emotionally shattered after losing his girlfriend, but is pushed back into the L.A. social scene via the help of cool, worldly, outgoing actor/buddy Vaughn. These two blueprint roles went on to define the character types of both actors on film.

In 1997, Jon appeared favorably on several episodes of the popular TV sitcom, Friends (1994), as "Pete Becker", the humdrum but extremely wealthy suitor for Courteney Cox's "Monica" character, and also appeared to fine advantage on the Tracey Takes On... (1996) comedy series. He later took on the biopic mini-movie, Rocky Marciano (1999), portraying the prizefighter himself in a highly challenging dramatic role and received excellent reviews. Other engagingly offbeat "everyman" films roles came Jon's way -- the ex-athlete in the working class film, Dogtown (1997); a soon-to-be groom whose bachelor party goes horribly awry in the comedy thriller Very Bad Things (1998); a newlywed opposite Famke Janssen in Love & Sex (2000); a wild and crazy linebacker in The Replacements (2000); as Ben Affleck's legal partner in Daredevil (2003); and another down-and-out actor in The Big Empty (2003). He wrote and directed himself and Vaughn as two fellow boxers who involve themselves in criminal activity in Made (2001). Both he and Vaughn produced. He also directed the highly popular Will Ferrell comedy Elf (2003), in which he had a small part.

Jon went on to re-team favorably with his friend, Vince Vaughn, who enjoyed a meteoric rise into the comedy star ranks, in such light-weight features as The Break-Up (2006), Four Christmases (2008) and Couples Retreat (2009), the last of which he co-wrote with Vaughn.

Jon has made even greater strides as a writer, producer and/or director in recent years with the exciting mega-box office action-packed Iron Man (2008), starring Robert Downey Jr., and its sequels, Iron Man 2 (2010) and Iron Man 3 (2013). Jon's character of "Happy Hogan" would be featured in a number of Marvel Comic adventures. Other offerings behind the scenes have included the adventure dramedy Chef (2014), in which he also starred in the title role; the revamped film version of The Avengers (2012) also starring Downey Jr., and it's sequels Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019); and the animated Disney features The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019) and the TV series The Chef Show (2019).

Favreau's marriage to Joya Tillem on November 24, 2000, produced son Max and two daughters, Madeleine and Brighton Rose. Joya is the niece of KGO (AM) lawyer and talk show host, Len Tillem. On the sly, the actor/writer/producer/director enjoys playing on the World Poker Tour.

Barry Jenkins was born on 19 November 1979 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is a producer and director, known for If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Moonlight (2016) and Aftersun (2022). He has been married to Lulu Wang since December 2024.

Don Hahn was born on 26 November 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Maleficent (2014), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) and The Lion King (1994). He has been married to Denise Meara-Hahn since 12 June 1987. They have one child.

Jeannine Roussel is known for Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (2001), Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990) and What a Cartoon! (1995).

George A. Mendoza is known for ABC Afterschool Specials (1972).

Jeffrey Silver has Produced or Executive Produced 34 feature films, topping $6.2 billion at the Worldwide Box Office.

He's currently at work on a sequel to the metaverse-inspired, "Tron" (Disney) -- having produced the previous installment of the franchise -- directed by Joachim Ronning, and starring Jared Leto.

His most recent release was the remake of the under-the-sea classic, "The Little Mermaid" (Disney), directed by Rob Marshall, starring Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and Javier Bardem.

Before that, Silver produced the photo-real re-imagining of "The Lion King" (Disney), starring Donald Glover and Beyoncé, directed by Jon Favreau. The Lion King broke new ground in animation, utilizing Virtual Production Technology to "shoot" an animated movie, resulting in an unprecedented level of digital reality. "The Lion King" went on to set records at the Worldwide Box Office, including being the #1 Disney-Branded Movie, the #1 Animated Movie, the #1 Musical Movie, and the #7 Highest-Grossing Movie of all-time.

Other recent releases include the epic fairy-tale, "Beauty & the Beast" (Disney), directed by Bill Condon, starring Emma Watson. "Beauty" went on to set records at the Worldwide Box Office, including the #1 Disney-Branded Live-Action Movie, the #2 Musical Movie, and the #16 Highest-Grossing Movie of all-time.

Silver is also known for sci-fi actioner, "Edge of Tomorrow", (Warners), directed by Doug Liman, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt; sci-fi fantasy, "Tron: Legacy" (Disney), starring Jeff Bridges; the global hit, historic fantasy, "300" (Warners), adapted from the graphic novel by Frank Miller, directed by Zack Snyder; cop-classic, "Training Day" (Warners), starring Denzel Washington, directed by Antoine Fuqua; and the holiday classics, "The Santa Clause" movies (Disney), starring Tim Allen.

Silver also produced the hit television series "The Wonder Years" (ABC), for which he received an Emmy as Producer for Best Comedy Series.

Silver's movies and television shows have been recognized for over 30 major awards including Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and the Independent Spirit, as well as awards from the Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Writers Guild of America.

In 1999, Silver co-founded FilmAid, a non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing movies to refugee camps around the world.

Silver grew up in Miami, and graduated Brandeis University with a degree in Theater.

Silver's wife, Lienna Silver, is a novelist, his daughter Sasha Silver, is Head of Drama at Hulu, and his son, Max Silver, is a filmmaker, and singer-songwriter.

Karen Gilchrist is known for The Mandalorian (2019), Iron Man (2008) and Cowboys & Aliens (2011).

Irene Mecchi was born on 21 September 1949 in San Francisco, California, USA. She is a writer, known for Brave (2012), The Lion King (1994) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996).

Jonathan Roberts was born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is known for The Lion King (1994), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) and James and the Giant Peach (1996).

Linda Woolverton was born in Long Beach, California, graduating from high school in 1969 and having been an honors student in her schools theater program. She enrolled at California State University, Long Beach, graduating with a BFA in Theater Arts in 1973. She worked full-time for a year in the entertainment division at Disneyland, and began working toward her Masters Degree in Theater for Children at California State Fullerton, while working as a substitute teacher.

Upon the completion of her Masters Degree in 1976, she formed her own children's theater company. She wrote, directed and performed all over California in churches, malls, schools, and local theaters. She also began in 1979, to work as a coach to children acting in commercials. In 1980 she began working as a development executive for CBS, concentrating on both children's and late-night programming.

In 1984 she began working as a children's television writer, penning scripts for shows such as Star Wars: Ewoks (1985), The Real Ghostbusters (1986), Alvin & the Chipmunks (1983) and DuckTales (2017). She also had two young adult novels published: Starwind and Running Before the Wind.

When one of her novels caught the attention of a Disney executive, she was hired to write the script for the animated motion picture Beauty and the Beast (1991). Upon its release in 1991, Beauty and the Beast (1991) became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Woolverton also co-wrote the script for The Lion King (1994) and Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993). She also adapted the script of Beauty and the Beast for the stage, which opened to critical acclaim on Broadway in Spring 1994, and was later nominated for a Tony Award for Best Book in a Musical. She also wrote the book for Disney's third Broadway production 'Aida.

Flip Kobler began his performing career as an actor before morphing into a writer. With his wife and writing partner, Cindy Marcus, they have been penning away ever since selling their first screenplay to Paramount Studios in 1988. Together they have over 50 published plays and musicals performed worldwide.

Flip and Cindy spent five years on staff at Disney where they wrote many animated films, including The Lion King II, Beauty and the Beast The Enchanted Christmas, Hunchback of Notre Dame II, Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World, Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure and many, many others. Their live action family film, Jack and the Beanstalk, starring James Earl Jones, Christopher Lloyd, Katey Sagal, Wallace Shawn and Chevy Chase. They've written for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, penned many family films, and have recently shifted into unknown territory with horror. Flip both wrote and co-starred in The Mean One and Bury Me Twice.

Along with husband Flip Kobler co-wrote an animated movie version of "Pirates of the Caribbean", but was abandoned during pre-production in favor of the live-action film. She is also a co-founder of the Showdown Stage Company in N. Hollywood, California where she co-writes and directs teen-themed plays based on classic works of literature.

Tom Rogers is known for Elena of Avalor (2016), The Chicken Squad (2021) and The Lion King 1½ (2004).

Jeff Nathanson was born on 12 October 1965 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), Catch Me If You Can (2002) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).

Adele Romanski was born on 10 November 1982 in Sarasota, Florida, USA. She is a producer and editor, known for Aftersun (2022), Moonlight (2016) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018).

Mark Ceryak is known for Aftersun (2022), If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and The Underground Railroad (2021).

German-born composer Hans Zimmer is recognized as one of Hollywood's most innovative musical talents. He featured in the music video for The Buggles' single "Video Killed the Radio Star", which became a worldwide hit and helped usher in a new era of global entertainment as the first music video to be aired on MTV (August 1, 1981).

Hans Florian Zimmer was born in Frankfurt am Main, then in West Germany, the son of Brigitte (Weil) and Hans Joachim Zimmer. He entered the world of film music in London during a long collaboration with famed composer and mentor Stanley Myers, which included the film My Beautiful Laundrette (1985). He soon began work on several successful solo projects, including the critically acclaimed A World Apart, and during these years Zimmer pioneered the use of combining old and new musical technologies. Today, this work has earned him the reputation of being the father of integrating the electronic musical world with traditional orchestral arrangements.

A turning point in Zimmer's career came in 1988 when he was asked to score Rain Man for director Barry Levinson. The film went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture of the Year and earned Zimmer his first Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Score. The next year, Zimmer composed the score for another Best Picture Oscar recipient, Driving Miss Daisy (1989), starring Jessica Tandy, and Morgan Freeman.

Having already scored two Best Picture winners, in the early 1990s, Zimmer cemented his position as a preeminent talent with the award-winning score for The Lion King (1994). The soundtrack has sold over 15 million copies to date and earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Score, a Golden Globe, an American Music Award, a Tony, and two Grammy Awards. In total, Zimmer's work has been nominated for 7 Golden Globes, 7 Grammys and seven Oscars for Rain Man (1988), Gladiator (2000), The Lion King (1994), As Good as It Gets (1997), The The Preacher's Wife (1996), The Thin Red Line (1998), The Prince of Egypt (1998), and The Last Samurai (2003).

With his career in full swing, Zimmer was anxious to replicate the mentoring experience he had benefited from under Stanley Myers' guidance. With state-of-the-art technology and a supportive creative environment, Zimmer was able to offer film-scoring opportunities to young composers at his Santa Monica-based musical "think tank." This approach helped launch the careers of such notable composers as Mark Mancina, John Powell, Harry Gregson-Williams, Nick Glennie-Smith, and Klaus Badelt.

In 2000, Zimmer scored the music for Gladiator (2000), for which he received an Oscar nomination, in addition to Golden Globe and Broadcast Film Critics Awards for his epic score. It sold more than three million copies worldwide and spawned a second album Gladiator: More Music From The Motion Picture, released on the Universal Classics/Decca label. Zimmer's other scores that year included Mission: Impossible II (2000), The Road to El Dorado (2000), and An Everlasting Piece (2000), directed by Barry Levinson.

Some of his other impressive scores include Pearl Harbor (2001), The Ring (2002), four films directed by Ridley Scott; Matchstick Men (2003), Hannibal (2001), Black Hawk Down (2001), and Thelma & Louise (1991), Penny Marshall's Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), and A League of Their Own (1992), Tony Scott's True Romance (1993), Tears of the Sun (2003), Ron Howard's Backdraft (1991), Days of Thunder (1990), Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997), and the animated Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) for which he also co-wrote four of the songs with Bryan Adams, including the Golden Globe nominated Here I Am.

At the 27th annual Flanders International Film Festival, Zimmer performed live for the first time in concert with a 100-piece orchestra and a 100-voice choir. Choosing selections from his impressive body of work, Zimmer performed newly orchestrated concert versions of Gladiator, Mission: Impossible II (2000), Rain Man (1988), The Lion King (1994), and The Thin Red Line (1998). The concert was recorded by Decca and released as a concert album entitled "The Wings Of A Film: The Music Of Hans Zimmer."

In 2003, Zimmer completed his 100th film score for the film The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, for which he received both a Golden Globe and a Broadcast Film Critics nomination. Zimmer then scored Nancy Meyers' comedy Something's Gotta Give (2003), the animated Dreamworks film, Shark Tale (2004) (featuring voices of Will Smith, Renée Zellweger, Robert De Niro, Jack Black, and Martin Scorsese), and Jim Brooks' Spanglish (2004) starring Adam Sandler and Téa Leoni (for which he also received a Golden Globe nomination). His 2005 projects include Paramount's The Weather Man (2005) starring Nicolas Cage, Dreamworks' Madagascar (2005), and the Warner Bros. summer release, Batman Begins (2005).

Zimmer's additional honors and awards include the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in Film Composition from the National Board of Review, and the Frederick Loewe Award in 2003 at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. He has also received ASCAP's Henry Mancini Award for Lifetime Achievement. Hans and his wife live in Los Angeles and he is the father of four children.

Nick Glennie-Smith was born on 3 October 1951 in London, England, UK. He is a composer, known for The Rock (1996), We Were Soldiers (2002) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998). He is married to Jan Glennie-Smith. They have four children.

Don Harper is known for I Am Number Four (2011), Armageddon (1998) and Shooter (2007).

Ivan Bilancio is known for Hercules (1997), Arcane (2021) and The Transformers: The Movie (1986).

Peter Lonsdale was born on 14 December 1951 in Shipley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK. He is an editor, known for The Rocketeer (1991), Back to the Future (1985) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987).