One of the most catchy and uplifting Disney songs is “Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King. However, along with carrying a nice meaning about not worrying so much, there’s also a whole hilarious verse about Pumbaa farting. It turns out the gag regarding the warthog’s flatulence originated from a wild recording session Nathan Lane, who played Timon, and Ernie Sabella, he’s Pumbaa, had after a long week of shows on Broadway. Now, the two actors have shared the full story behind how this silly part of the characters’ story came to be.
While recording The Lion King, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella were starring in Guys and Dolls on Broadway together. Eight shows a week is no joke, and if you’re also working on what would become one of the greatest animated movies, of course, exhaustion is bound to creep into day-to-day life. For the Timon and Pumbaa actors that happened one morning while they were voicing the meerkat and warthog, as Lane told EW:
We were doing Guys and Dolls. So, we would record in the mornings sometimes, and we’d be a little sleepy. And Ernie, to entertain me during the recording, would make flatulent noises. While he was doing his dialogue, he would make fart sounds to make me laugh. And they eventually incorporated that into the character and the song.
So, real-life fart jokes were eventually translated into animated gags about gas, and Sabella explained that goofing around with Lane before their recording session is what ultimately led to Pumbaa being “the first and only Disney character with flatulence:”
We did a five-show weekend, Friday, Saturday, Saturday, Sunday, Sunday. And then we had an early morning Disney session, and we usually had a 10 o’clock session, but this time it was like a 9 o’clock session. So, we get there, and we’re pretty beat up from five shows, and to get the ball rolling, I just started making these sounds as he was reading his lines. He kept laughing, going, ‘Don’t do that, don’t do that.’ I said, ‘I’ll stop.’ And then I kept doing it. That’s the story of how Pumbaa became the first and only Disney character with flatulence.
Much like how this one little moment led to Pumbaa’s silly character trait, Lane and Sabella’s comedic timing and camaraderie are what got them their roles in the first place. The Producers star said they had gone to audition for the hyenas, and asked if they could read together since they already knew each other. That happened, and according to the man behind Pumbaa, the director was “just staring” at them in awe.
Eventually, they got a call saying two new characters had been developed specifically for them, as the Only Murders in the Building actor said:
They said they were developing these new characters called Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and a warthog, for us, and that we would be the comic relief in this Shakespearean tale of lions.
Considering these legendary parts were written specifically for these two comedic actors, I completely understand why their off-mic joking ended up in the movie. It was their real-life friendship that got them the parts, so it only seems natural that their personal jokes and moments would wind up in the film.
It’s silly quirks, like Pumbaa’s gas, that makes Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella’s characters as well as the 1994 movie so legendary. Case and point, it’s been 30 years since The Lion King’s release and the film is still incredibly beloved, to the point that it got a fantastic Broadway musical based on it, multiple animated sequels — including The Lion King 1½ (which is about Timon and Pumbaa’s origins) — as well as a live-action remake.
Even now, we’re still getting Lion King stories, with Mufasa slated on the 2024 movie schedule for a December 20 release.
However, I don’t think anything can ever beat the original movie, because it’s moments like this one between Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella that made it so magical.
To go back and watch The Lion King, fart jokes and all, you can stream it with a Disney+ subscription.