Timon and Pumbaa Might Be Gay, ‘Lion King’ Actors Speculate (VIDEO)
Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, who voice Timon and Pumbaa in the live action version of Disney’s The Lion King, recently speculated to a reporter about their characters’ sexuality, wondering aloud if the duo were gay.
It also led one of the actors to state he hopes gay characters are seen more in family films like Disney movies.
In a video interview with Sky News (included below) the actors call the sexuality of the characters an “unsolved mystery,” although they admit that initially, the characters “weren’t written as gay.”
Eichner, who voices Timon, is openly gay, and reminds the reporter that Nathan Lane, who voiced the character in the original 1994 animated classic, is also gay. That has led to speculation that Timon, in turn, must be gay as well.
While Rgen joked that they possibly were, Eichner said he hopes to see the gay community be represented in Disney-like entertainment. “It would be cool to see more openly LGBT characters in family and animated films,” so people wouldn’t have to speculate about their sexuality.
This isn’t the first time a Disney character’s sexuality has become news. In the recent live action version of Beauty and the Beast, actor Josh Gad announced his character of LeFou was gay, and in love with the villain Gaston.
That led to many parents asking why the subject of a character’s sexuality is even being explored in a Disney film. Many also asked if Walt Disney himself would have approved of such characters.
Here is video of the interview.
Post your thoughts in the comments section below on the comments by Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner about The Lion King.
