A former Disney animator says his infant son, Wyatt, posed as the reference for baby Simba in The Lion King’s famous “Circle of Life” scene, and the photo they tried to recreate later went sideways.
The most famous baby in Disney animation might have had a real baby behind him.
Former Disney animator Broose Johnson shared on Instagram that his infant son, Wyatt, was used as a live model for young Simba in The Lion King’s opening “Circle of Life” scene, WDWNT reported on Oct. 31. That’s the moment Rafiki lifts the newborn cub over Pride Rock while the whole savanna bows.
According to Johnson, fellow animator Russ Edmonds had the job of animating the moment. Edmonds wasn’t sure how a real baby would react to being hoisted up like that, so he asked to see for himself.
How was the baby Simba scene in The Lion King animated?
Johnson said Edmonds, his longtime friend and carpool buddy, came by one morning before work. He asked Johnson and his wife if they would hold up their son, then just a few months old, so he could watch the baby’s face.
Johnson said yes and held Wyatt out at arm’s length for a few moments while Edmonds studied him. Johnson also admitted, per WDWNT, that he may have made a few monkey sounds to stay in character.
Then the two of them left for work. Based on how the scene turned out, WDWNT notes, Wyatt looked a little bewildered but not too worried. Which, honestly, is how most of us look on a Monday.
Here’s Disney’s original trailer for The Lion King:
What happened when they tried to recreate the Lion King photo?
This is the best part. After the movie came out, Johnson and his wife found a baby Simba onesie in a store. They thought it would be fun to get a picture of Edmonds holding Wyatt up, Rafiki style, in the outfit.
There was one problem. By then, Wyatt wasn’t a tiny baby anymore.
“However, it had been over a year, and Wyatt was a lot bigger,” Johnson wrote, as quoted by WDWNT. “He was walking, and he was heavier. Russ lifted him up as best as he could, but immediately started grunting, ‘Take the picture! Take the picture!’ So we took the picture.”
We haven’t seen the original post ourselves, so that story comes to us through WDWNT’s write-up of Johnson’s Instagram.
Who is Russ Edmonds?
Edmonds is a longtime Disney animator. On The Lion King, he was the supervising animator for Sarabi, Simba’s mom.
His other credits are a tour of the Disney Renaissance and beyond. He animated Aladdin on Aladdin, Phoebus on The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Kala on Tarzan. He later worked on Naveen in The Princess and the Frog and Tigger in 2011’s Winnie the Pooh.
Johnson’s own career details are harder to pin down, so we’ll stick with what WDWNT says: he’s a former Disney animator with a pretty great dad story.
Didn’t Disney use real lions to animate The Lion King?
It did. Wildlife expert Jim Fowler brought live lions into the studio so the artists could sketch them up close. Other reports over the years have described a real lion cub posing as a model for baby Simba, too.
Wyatt’s story sits right next to the cub’s. Animators pull reference from everywhere, and a human baby’s confused face is apparently fair game.
When did The Lion King come out?
The Lion King opened in limited release on June 15, 1994, and went wide on June 24. Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff directed it.
“Circle of Life” was written by Elton John and Tim Rice. Carmen Twillie and Lebo M sing the opening.
The film has made close to $1 billion worldwide counting its re-releases. It also spawned the Broadway musical and Festival of the Lion King at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
What’s next for The Lion King at Disney?
Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris is working on a Lion King area with a water ride that passes under Pride Rock. Disney hasn’t set an opening date.
Closer to home, D23 has a member night at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles on Jan. 15, 2027, during the musical’s touring run, according to Laughing Place. Members get 10% off and a post-show talk with cast members.
And somewhere out there is a grown-up Wyatt Johnson who got to be Simba before he could walk. Good luck topping that.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
WDWNT (Oct. 31, 2026), Broose Johnson’s Instagram story and quotes
Broose Johnson on Instagram, the original post
Laughing Place (Oct. 21, 2026), D23 Night at The Lion King in Los Angeles
Disney Tourist Blog, the Lion King area at Disneyland Paris
Disney Plus, The Lion King original trailer
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