Elodie voice actress in the Disney film “Mufasa: The Lion King”

“Mufasa: The Lion King” will arrive in Italian cinemas on December 19th, the film that tells the story we didn’t know until now of Simba’s father, the protagonist of the animated classic “The Lion King”. Directed by Barry Jenkins, “Mufasa” is the prequel to the remake made in 2019, characterized by three-dimensional animations and great realism. We discover the humble birth and youth of a character we knew, for his wisdom and nobility as an adult and father, with the voice of Vittorio Gassman, in one of the most loved and unforgettable Italian dubbings.

It is not Elodie’s first time at the Italian dubbing of an animated film: she also participated in the production of the Italian edition of “Trolls World Tour”, in 2020. In “Mufasa: the Lion King” she gives the voice to the young lioness Sarabi, who meets the protagonist Mufasa and his brother Taka after they had to move away from the pack.

What was it like being asked by Disney to voice one of the characters in “Mufasa: The Lion King”?

Obviously I’m very proud of this project with Disney, yet another unexpected turning point in my career. I never imagined I would have all this opportunity. A beautiful friendship was also born with Fiamma Izzo, the dubbing director of this film. I owe her a big thank you: she was very patient like me throughout the process and remained by my side, guiding me and advising me as best as possible.

What is your relationship with the Disney world?

I think I’ve seen more or less all of Disney and Pixar’s animated productions, of which I’m a big fan. However, young Elodie had somewhat strange tastes… ever since I was a child I was in love with the villains of Disney films, they were always my favorite characters. I think the reason lies in the fact that on a character level they have a nice three-dimensionality, they often have complex stories behind them that explain how they became evil. I fell in love with these outcasts, those that no one wanted: I wanted to hug them. I think my absolute favorite was and still is Ursula, the sea witch from ‘The Little Mermaid’: a crazy woman, and then her Italian voice is incredible!

(Luca Marinelli intervenes smiling: “Ursula’s Italian voice actress is my aunt!”)

How do you think you fared in the dubbing booth?

It’s not up to me to say whether I was up to the task, because this is a complex work, full of nuances. I can say that for my part I gave my best.

What are your affinities with the character you voiced?

I think that no animal species was more suitable for me to play than a lioness, considering my character I think it is an animal very similar to me. As a child I always felt like a lion cub, at least in terms of mentality: I thought that attacking was the first and only way to defend oneself and I lived by following this rule. It seems incredible and absurd to me today to give voice to a female character who behaves in a similar way towards the world.

In 2022 you were the protagonist in “I eat your heart” by Pippo Mezzapesa, we know that you are working as an actress in another film currently in production. How much do you care about your career as an actress, even compared to your career as a singer?

I embrace all the possibilities that come, I feel the need to get involved, to try. When I was very young I was afraid and what’s more I didn’t even realize I had it: this way of doing things blocked me, I precluded myself from a lot of possibilities. I’m trying to resolve myself as a woman and right now I’m trying to improve myself. This is why I now dedicate myself a lot to studying, I try to recover what I didn’t do as a child. Acting is one of the fields in which I apply myself the most. From my first experiences on the big screen I can say that I really like cinema; I will continue to study and give myself this chance as an actress whenever the right opportunity presents itself.

(Disney photo)