Billy Eichner, who reprises his role as Timon in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” revealed what he believes Timon and Pumbaa’s “Billy on the Street” question would be.
“That would be great — we’ve never done it where the celebrity guests were animated characters, so I might need some CGI experts to help me with that,” Eichner, who executive produced and hosted his viral person-on-the-street Q&A series “Billy on the Street,” told TheWrap.
“It might be above the ‘Billy on the Street’ budget. But if we could figure it out, that would be fun,” he continued. “I think Timon and Pumbaa would want to know, ‘Why don’t we have our own movie?’ Which would be a perfect ‘Billy on the Street’ type of question.’”
Starring alongside Eichner is his partner-in-comedy, Seth Rogen, who plays Pumbaa. This time around, the pair listen to Rafiki’s retelling of Mufasa’s origin story while weaving in some comedic relief throughout the Disney film. Eichner said “Mufasa” director Barry Jenkins encouraged them to load up their arsenal of jokes.
“We got to do even more this time, and it was just super fun … we improvised a lot this time,” Eichner said. “We did in 2019, too, and I think we were surprised: A.) how much they used in the movie; and B.) how much people seem to respond well to it. So I think Barry had us really lean into that this time. You can kind of feel it when you’re watching the movie. I think it sounds like we’re in the room together. They’re a comedy duo, so I think that’s important.”
“In the original ‘Lion King,’ Timon and Pumbaa kind of join midway through and in this one, we’re helping narrate the story essentially, so we’re there from the beginning, throughout,” he added. “It’s an honor to be part of these, to work with Barry Jenkins, an incredible filmmaker, and the insanely talented, huge group of people that make these types of movies happen.”
“Mufasa: The Lion King” is now playing in theaters.
