Tiffany Boone didn't know she was spying on Sarabi in Mufasa

When Tiffany Boone he intervened Mufasa audition, she had no idea she would be playing the iconic lion queen Sarabi.

“I created a character that was in my head, [but] I didn't know I was doing an interview for Sarabi,” said the actor, 37. Us Weekly on Thursday, December 19, when we talk Mufasa: King King. “It had a different name on the page. So I was like, 'This has to be a new character.'

When Boone read the script, he thought the character seemed “cool” and wanted to use his voice to show that part of his personality. Boone was thrown for a loop after it was revealed that he would be voicing the beloved cartoon character.

“So when they told me who I was actually playing, I was like, 'Well that's a little pressure,'” he admitted.

Boone shared that he asked director Barry Jenkins what he wanted his words to sound like Madge Sinclairwho uttered the syllable at first The King is the King since 1994, or so Alfred Woodardwho played Sarabi in the 2019 live-action adaptation. Jenkins, 45, had faith in Boone's talent and encouraged him to be himself as they developed Sarabi's story.

“I had a lot of freedom to create her own sub-genre and give the character more layers [and] the challenges she went through to become the great queen she became,” he said Us.

As a follower of The King is the KingBoone always saw Sarabi as the “perfect” wife, mother and queen, so he wanted fans to get a taste of Sarabi's personality before she became Mufasa's loyal companion.

“He wasn't always perfect. He's mischievous … he's sarcastic and makes fun of the boys,” Boone said, referring to Mufasa and his adopted brother, Taka, who would later become Scar. “I think he has a sense of humor about himself. She's really vulnerable, and all those things are really fun to add to the Sarabi crisis that we see later. “

Boone teased that fans might be “surprised” to see that Sarabi's relationship with Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) unfolds, meaning “it's not such a straight line.” Regarding rumors of a love triangle between Sarabi, Mufasa and Scar, Boone revealed that fans will “find the answer” when they see the film.

“You'll understand all three of them better, really,” he teased.

Boone admitted that he is still “depriving himself” that he is now a member of the group The King is the King the family.

“I can't believe I'm a part of it,” he said, noting that his youngest child never dreamed of such an opportunity. “To tell that younger version of me that I used to sit and watch VHS on my mom's bed over and over again, like, 'You're going to be part of that family, that story.' I feel like his little head might explode. My imagination could not even dream of this.”

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However, Boone admitted there was “pressure” to make sure he and the rest of the Mufasa team delivered – especially fans of the classic animated show.

“I know there's a lot of people who are like, 'Are they going to do this justice?'” he reflected. “But there's also a lot of joy, and that's what I think we were trying to remember when we were filming. And I think Barry Jenkins really led us to find joy in these moments and have a lot of fun and let the pressure kind of come off our backs and do our jobs as players. “

Mufasa: King King it's in theaters now.

With reporting by Kat Pettibone