>>> WELCOME BACK. YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD THE BUZZ
BY NOW, THE DISNEY CLASSIC "THE
LION KING" IS BACK IN A NEW
FILM.
FILM. THIS MORNING, WE’LL MEET TWO OF
THE MOVIE’S YOUNG STARS.
>> YOU MAY RECOGNIZE JD McCRARY
FROM "THE BIG GAMBINO."
AND YOU MAY RECOGNIZE SHAHADI
WRIGHT JOSEPH IN THE TERRIFYING
FILM "US."
FILM "US." >> IN THIS ROLE, IT’S NOT SO
TERRIFYING, LENDING THEIR VOICES
TO YOUNG SIMBA AND YOUNG NALA.
>> WHERE WITH RELYALLY GOING?
>> HOW DID YOU KNOW?
>> YOU HATE THE WATER.
>> I HEARD ABOUT THIS INCREDIBLE
PLACE.
PLACE. NALA.
NALA. >> TELL ME WHERE.
>> AN ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD.
>> WHOA.
>> WHOA. HOW FAR IS IT?
>> NOT FAR, JUST TO THE SHADOW.
DON’T WORRY, EVERYONE HAS BEEN
THERE.
THERE. >> WE’VE NEVER BEEN THAT FAR.
WHAT IF WE GET LOST?
>> IT’S OKAY.
I SAW THE ENTIRE KINGDOM THIS
MORNING WITH MY DAD.
NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
>> THERE IS ONE THING.
>> WE HAVE AN IMMINENT THREAT.
SOMETHING A APPROACHING.
SCRATCH THAT, THAT’S MY OWN
SHADOW.
SHADOW. >> SHAHADI WRIGHT JOSEPH AND JD
McCRARY, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> THANK YOU, GOOD MORNING.
>> TAKE US BACK TO THE MOMENT
YOU EACH FOUND OUT YOU GOT THIS
ROLE.
ROLE. >> THE MOMENT I FOUND OUT, IT
WAS LIKE TWO YEARS AGO, ABOUT.
I WAS SITTING IN MY ROOM, AND MY
MOM CAME TO ME AND SAID, HEY,
YOU GOT "THE LION KING."
WE JUST STARTED PRAYING.
MY MOM WAS CRYING.
WE WERE HUGGING.
WE THREW A PARTY.
IT WAS AN AMAZING MOMENT.
>> GREAT STORY.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I FOUND OUT.
MY AGENT CALLED AND SCREAMED,
YOU GOT "THE LION KING."
MY FAMILY JUMPED UP IN
EXCITEMENT.
EXCITEMENT. WE WERE CELEBRATING ALL DAY.
>> IT TOOK YEARS TO M COMPLETEE
FILM, AND YOU RECORDED A LOT OF
THE LINES TOGETHER.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
>> IT WAS COOL, RECORDING WITH
KNUCKLEHEAD HERE.
KNUCKLEHEAD HERE. >> KNUCKLEHEAD, WOW.
>> IT WAS COOL RECORDING WITH
SHAHADI
SHAHADI SHAHADI.
SHAHADI. >> HE WAS RECITING THE LIONS
LIKE YOU DID IT YESTERDAY.
>> LOOK AT THAT.
>> THAT’S THE DIRECTOR, JON
FAVREAU, WITH YOU.
>> YOU’VE GROWN SINCE THEN.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> YOU’RE ALSO QUITE THE --
>> THAT’S SUPER COOL.
>> IT IS.
>> IT IS. I LOVE THAT IT IS NOT LOST ON
YOU YET.
YOU YET. THE WHOLE THING IS STILL COOL TO
YOU.
YOU. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> YOU’RE QUITE THE MUSICIAN, AS
WELL.
WELL. I CAUGHT YOU AT THE GRAMMYS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> I WAS THERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> YOU STEPPED ON STAGE, AND
YOUR VOICE TOOK OVER THAT WHOLE
ROOM.
ROOM. IT WAS AMAZING.
>> WHICH DO YOU ENJOY MORE, THE
ACTING MORE OR DO YOU ENJOY THE
SINGING MORE?
SINGING MORE? >> YOU KNOW, I LOVE ACTING
BECAUSE I’M IN SUCH AN
INCREDIBLE MOVIE WITH AN
INCREDIBLE CAST, BUT I ALSO LOVE
SINGING BECAUSE IT IS LIKE A
FAMILY HEIRLOOM TO ME.
THE WHOLE FAMILY SINGS.
I GUESS I WILL SAY I LOVE
SINGING WHILE ACTING.
>> SHAHADI, YOU HAVE AN
INTERESTING PART IN THIS, IN
THAT YOU PLAYED NALA, YOUNG
NALA, ON BROADWAY.
>> YES, I DID.
THAT WAS LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> IT WAS A PRETTY LONG TIME
AGO.
AGO. NOT AS LONG AS WE’VE BEEN
WAITING FOR THE MOVIE, BUT IT
WAS JUST -- IT WAS AN AMAZING
PROCESS
PROCESS PROCESS.
PROCESS. I THINK I TRANSFERRED SOME OF
THE INFORMATION THAT I LEARNED
FROM BROADWAY TO, YOU KNOW, THE
REMAKE.
REMAKE. IT WAS REALLY COOL.
>> TALK TO ME ABOUT THE WORLD
PREMIERE.
PREMIERE. YOU GOT TO MEET THE ENTIRE CAST.
OF COURSE, YOU GOT TO MEET
BEYONCE, BUT THE ENTIRE CAST,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> WHAT WAS IT LIKE.
>> REALLY AMAZING.
WE MET SOME OF THE CAST DURING
THE PHOTO SHOOT.
DURING THE PREMIERE, WE GOT TO
MEET EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW.
IT WAS AMAZING.
BEYONCE, OF COURSE.
>> SMELL LIKE UNICORNS AND
RAINBOWS?
RAINBOWS? >> YES, AMAZING.
>> I ALSO MET BEYONCE.
>> OKAY, ALL RIGHT.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU,
EVEN THE PREMIERE IN GENERAL,
WITH ALL THE ATTENTION, THE
WORLD WATCHING?
WORLD WATCHING? >> IT WAS SO GREAT.
I FLIPPED OVER MY HAIR.
I FELT PRETTY DAPPER.
THAT WAS ME AND BEYONCE.
I MET HER.
IT WAS AWESOME.
>> WE DO FUN FACT FRIDAY, AND
YOU AGREED TO PLAY ALONG.
SHAHADI, WHAT IS YOUR FUN FACT?
>> I REALLY LOVE TO KNIT WHEN
I’M ON MY DOWN TIME.
WHILE I WAS ON BROADWAY, AND
SOME OF MY OTHER SHOWS, MY
FRIENDS AND I USED TO KNIT HATS
AND SCARVES AND THEN WOULD SELL
THEM TO PEOPLE IN THE THEATER.
>> THAT’S COOL.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> SO COOL.
WHAT ABOUT YOU, MY FRIEND?
>> I HAVE A CLUE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I’M A TRUE SNEAKER HEAD.
>> THOSE ARE BEAUTIFUL.
>> DIPPED IN METAL.
>> I HAVE OVER 70 SHOES.
>> PAIR?
>> PAIR? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> SERIOUSLY?
>> SERIOUSLY? >> WHERE DO YOU KEEP THEM?
>> IN MY PARENTS’ CLOSET.
I KEEP THEM IN MY PARENTS’
CLOSET.
CLOSET. I KEEP THEM IN THE DOWNSTAIRS
CLOSET, IN MY CLOSET, AND UNDER
THE TABLE, WHERE THEIR TV IS.
I KEEP IT THERE, TOO.
>> I HEARD THAT YOU -- DID YOU
JUST CELEBRATE A BIRTHDAY OR IS
IT COMING UP?
>> I DID.
>> I DID. >> HOW OLD?
>> 12.
>> 12. >> GOING ON 25.
WE LIKE TO CELEBRATE THINGS
HERE.
HERE. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> JD, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
>> OH, WOW.
>> FROM THE "TODAY" SHOW.
>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> THAT’S SO COOL.
>> LOOK AT THE CAKE, IT’S A
LION.
LION. >> LOOK AT THAT.
>> WAIT, I DON’T WANT TO MESS
THIS UP.
THIS UP. >> COOL.
>> COOL. >> SO DAPPER.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> NEXT TO YOU, WE CAN’T REALLY
BECAUSE --
BECAUSE -- >> NO.
>> NO. >> THERE YOU GO.
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU GUYS.
>> I’VE SEEN THE MOVIE.
YOU GUYS ARETER TERRIFIC IN IT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> COME BACK.
>> JD McCRARY AND SHAHADI WRIGHT