Billy Eichner Reveals He & Seth Rogen Improvised a lot as Timon & Pumbaa in 'Mufasa: The Lion King' | THR Video - video Dailymotion

The Hollywood Reporter

Billy Eichner chats with THR at the premiere of 'Mufasa: The Lion King'  and describes the fun he had improvising with Seth Rogen as they played the characters of Timon and Pumbaa. Plus, he pitches his idea for a Timon and Pumbaa prequel.

Transcript

00:00This is 30 years after the original 1994 Lion King.

00:04What do you think is different or similar to this origin story?

00:08Well, this is an extension of the story.

00:11This is a part of the story we've never heard.

00:13And Barry Jenkins and his whole team,

00:16Barry Jenkins is the director, he's a masterful director.

00:18He's added so much complexity to it.

00:21To the Mufasa backstory and also to the Taka, a.k.a. Scar backstory.

00:26No one's born a villain and no one's born a hero,

00:29as Barry always talks about.

00:30So to watch how they developed traits that would be associated with either of those,

00:35I think it's fascinating.

00:37But also it's so relatable.

00:39The songs by Lin-Manuel are great, new songs.

00:43And me and Seth Rogen doing our shtick, take it or leave it.

00:47And it's just so fun.

00:49And this is a story about brotherhood, right?

00:52So what do you want audiences to get from that?

00:55I think it's about brotherhood and it's about found family.

00:58It's about chosen family, which for me is a huge part of my life.

01:01I have a ton of friends here tonight.

01:02They are my family.

01:04And I think that's so important.

01:06I think a lot of people can relate to that as well.

01:09Why do you think this story was important to tell now in 2024?

01:13I think it's always important or at least interesting to evolve a story.

01:18You know, to look backwards and forwards into where a story is.

01:22I mean, we've seen that with Wicked, right?

01:24Which I just saw and loved.

01:26And it is so interesting.

01:27You know, how did the Wicked Witch become, quote-unquote, wicked?

01:30How does Scar become, quote, evil or the villain?

01:34So to add that complexity to it and that humanity to it I think is important.

01:38Absolutely.

01:40What do you want kids and families to get out of this?

01:42After watching it and letting it marinate,

01:44what do you want them to walk away with it?

01:46This movie, when I watched it, alone in a screening room even,

01:49made me feel like a kid.

01:52It really did in a great way.

01:53I know that sounds cheesy, but it really did.

01:55It just has that sense of wonder about it

01:57that Barry and his team were able to instill in it.

02:00The action-adventure sequences are mind-blowing.

02:04I mean, it's lions chasing each other and going down waterfalls and underwater

02:09and on a snow-capped mountain.

02:10I don't even know how the hell they do it.

02:12But then I'm just happy to be a part of it.

02:14It's really astonishing.

02:16You mentioned working alongside Seth Rogen.

02:18So what was that like?

02:19Love Seth so much.

02:21We played Timon and Pumbaa.

02:22Seth and I, they encourage us to improvise a lot,

02:25and I think maybe 90% of what made it into the movie was improvised.

02:29Things that me and Seth came up with in the booth together,

02:32we get to record together, which is awesome.

02:34I love that man. He feels like a brother.

02:37We spend a lot of time making these movies together

02:39and promoting them, and I adore him.

02:41You guys' characters are kind of like comedic relief but also comforting.

02:45So how did you guys tap into that part of it?

02:48Well, Timon and Pumbaa, they need each other.

02:50They're best friends.

02:51They are their chosen family on some level.

02:55They're an unlikely duo, and they're the ultimate outsiders.

02:59They're always desperate to be in the center of the story,

03:01which they never are unless Disney makes a Timon and Pumbaa prequel,

03:05which we're very excited about.

03:07That hasn't been announced.

03:08We're just putting that out there.

03:11But yeah, I think it has that heart because they're family too.

03:14What would that ideal prequel look like?

03:17Oh, I don't know, but Lin-Manuel, who did not write us,

03:20who had the audacity not to write a new Timon and Pumbaa song for this movie,

03:24better write some songs for the prequel.

03:26I would love a Timon and Pumbaa prequel.

03:28You know, when Timon met Pumbaa, we see how they met,

03:31how they became friends.

03:33Later we watch them aging gracefully in a remorseless industry.

03:39But, you know, it would be so fun.

Billy Eichner Reveals He & Seth Rogen Improvised a lot as Timon & Pumbaa in 'Mufasa: The Lion King' | THR Video

Category

Transcript

Recommended