Disney’s The Lion King is an animated film that has been beloved by many for just over thirty years and has since spawned a variety of sequels. Last December, we got the newest addition to the film series: Mufasa: The Lion King, the tale of the upbringing of younger versions of brothers Scar and, arguably most importantly, Mufasa.

Of course, the role of Mufasa requires much talent, and what better choice is there than rising actors Brielle and Braelyn Rankins?

Image by Braelyn Rankins

Behind the Voice of Mufasa

Although we all know him as young Mufasa, Braelyn Rankins wasn't aware he was auditioning for this role. "The role that I was auditioning for was under wraps at the time, so it was under a fake name," Rankins told The Teen Magazine. "I knew what the project was for but didn't know who I was auditioning for."

Braelyn also shared that trying different voices was the most challenging part. "My parents wanted me to, like, try these fake voices," he said. "Just doing that was just kind of stepping out of my comfort zone, but I think it helped in the end."

Braelyn was stunned when he found out he had gotten the part of young Mufasa. "I was just really shocked because I didn't know who I was auditioning for when I first auditioned, so when my agent and manager called me and said, 'You're going to be playing Young Mufasa!' I was really shocked because I was like, 'Young Mufasa? I don't remember auditioning for that part,' but I was really grateful," the young actor recounted. "I was really excited to start. I was a bit nervous, but that nervousness quickly turned into excitement over time."

Braelyn also recalls being shown an early draft of the film. “I think one of my best memories while filming was probably my first or second day of filming overall. None of the film was done, and it was all very, very rough drafts, like 2D drawings, but [Barry Jenkins] played some of the finished portions of the movie for me, and I just thought that was so cool to see. It just made me feel really special that he took time out to show me some of the movie.”

Image by Braelyn Rankins

Braelyn also mentioned how he adjusted to doing voice-over work rather than being on a physical set and his experience working with director Barry Jenkins. "It was really different because I'm so used to being on a physical set. Trying to bring that energy when your face is not being seen and it's just your voice was challenging at first, but everyone made me feel really comfortable. The producers always gave their input, and Barry Jenkins, the director, also gave his input. My parents would also give their input and would be in the next room whenever I recorded."

One scene that Braelyn was incredibly excited for people to see was the flood scene in which a young Mufasa is caught up in a flood and separated from his parents. "That was really fun to film. It was different—acting like you're drowning, but you're just really standing there behind a microphone."

It wasn't just Braelyn voicing the character either—when his voice started changing, his sister Brielle stepped in to do additional lines. "Braelyn asked me, 'They need me to do extra lines and stuff, so I don't really know how to imitate my younger voice. How should I do it?' I gave him examples, like 'This is how I would do it,' and he said, 'Wait, that sounds just like me,'" she told us. "Then, he went to our mom, and he told her, 'We should try to see if Brielle can audition for it,' so my mom recorded me saying some of the lines that they wanted him to repeat and sent it in, and they told me that they wanted me to do it. It was such a good experience and so much fun."

She also mentioned her nervousness when having to mimic her brother. "When I was recording, I was so so nervous because I had to mimic Braelyn, and I've never played someone else before," Brielle said. "I was so nervous, and Barry reassured me; he told me, 'There's no wrong choices; you can't make any mistakes,' so when I was recording, he gave me direction, and then I forgot some things. I was disappointed in myself, and I didn't realize he could see me over the camera, and he's like, 'No, don't make that face; there are no wrong choices' [..] and that just made me feel so much better and a lot less nervous with the rest of the recording."

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Acting Inspirations & Experiences

Image by Brandy Rankins

Whilst they were growing up, a big inspiration for the Rankins siblings was actress and singer China Anne McClain. "We used to love Ant Farm," Brielle said. "We loved watching Disney Channel, and we used to love, love, love singing all of the songs from Ant Farm, so I would say that was for sure like one of the moments we were like, oh my gosh, we want to be actors."

When we asked who they looked up to in the entertainment space, Brielle happily shared that her inspiration is the iconic Keke Palmer. "She's always making me laugh whenever I watch her interviews, so I would love to work with her."

On the other hand, Braelyn is a big fan of actress, writer, and producer Issa Rae. "I just think she's hilarious. I'd love to work with her," he said.

Furthermore, both siblings have their respective favorite parts of acting. Braelyn says he loves being able to "[find] a character that really clicks" and getting to step into their wardrobe. Meanwhile, Brielle enjoys going into "different worlds with different characters," where each character has their own life and costume.

Large Casts vs Small Casts

When asked whether they prefer working with a small or large cast, the duo had different answers. Braelyn prefers to work with a large cast where they can hang out together in break rooms and off-set. His sister Brielle actually prefers to have a small cast where everyone is "tight-knit," though she does admit there are positives to both a large and small cast.

Advice for Aspiring Actors

Regarding advice for new actors, the siblings agree on one thing: never give up. "Don't doubt yourself, don't give up, and don't let rejection stop you," Brielle said. "No one's going to get every single part, so I definitely say don't let that stop you. Every rejection is just one step closer to a yes."

Similarly, Braelyn says to “put yourself out there.”

“I know starting out in acting and on social media can seem embarrassing if you're not getting a certain amount of views or traction that you want in general, so I would just say not to let that stop you and to keep going because eventually, it's going to grow into something.”

“I Always Wanted A Brother” TikTok Trend

Braelyn and Brielle have heard the clip from “I Always Wanted A Brother,” sung by Braelyn himself, trending on TikTok like everyone else, and they described it as a “surreal” experience. “The song was recorded a couple of years ago, so it had been stuck in our heads forever, but we weren't allowed to sing it in public or anything,” Brielle remarked. “Now that it's finally out, and everyone's enjoying it as much as we did, especially when we first heard it, it's really cool. I've enjoyed all the remixes and everything everyone's been doing.”

Braelyn’s a fan, too. “Yes! Oh my gosh, all the edits and everything; there were so many remixes, it was so cool,” he said.

Favorite Movies, Shows, & More

Everyone has their favorite movies, and for Braelyn Rankins, it’s Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and Ingrid Goes West, starring actress Aubrey Plaza. In contrast, Brielle loves 1998’s The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey and the hit teen rom-com To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.

When asked which TV/film universe they'd like to step in, Brielle said she would love to live in The Vampire Diaries universe. “I feel like I would love being a vampire.” Meanwhile, Braelyn would love to be part of the Adventure Time universe.

Alternatively, if they could guest star on any show, Braelyn hopes to be a guest on the third season of the HBO show Euphoria starring Zendaya, while Brielle would jump at the chance to be on Superstore.

Alternate Career Paths

If Brielle and Braelyn hadn’t been actors, the pair would have gone down completely different paths. Brielle thinks she’d be an author, inspired by her love of reading and poetry and her mother, a writer. Braelyn would choose to become a marine biologist: “I love finding out, like, new information about stuff and the fact that so much of it is undiscovered.”

Keep Up With Braelyn & Brielle

Braelyn and Brielle are both incredibly talented, and we at The Teen Magazine are excited to see what other projects they take on next. In the meantime, you can keep up with them on Instagram, and on their family’s podcast, Life With the Rankins Podcast: A Conversation on Faith, Family, & Film.