That’s Mufasa! Get to Know Aaron Pierre, His Parents, Siblings, and More

The Breakdown: Aaron Pierre is Hollywood’s newest star, and for good reason. He’s building an impressive resume of film and television credits, including Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King and Netflix’s Rebel Ridge. Get to know his background, parents, and siblings.

If you don’t know who Aaron Pierre is, just Google “That’s Mufasa!” You’ll soon discover the actor who rose to fame as the voice of the classic Disney character in the live-action prequel to The Lion King. Since breaking into the business, he’s established himself as a solid on-screen leading man. And his piercing green eyes and striking good looks certainly haven’t hurt his career either.

But where exactly did this Hollywood heartthrob come from? Let’s get to know Aaron Pierre’s parents and siblings, explore his ethnicity, and take a look at his rise to stardom.

Like many of Hollywood’s brightest stars, Aaron Pierre is British, but his ethnicity is Caribbean and West African. Pierre’s mother is Jamaican, while his father has roots in Sierra Leone and Curacao. His parents raised him and his two younger siblings — a sister and a brother — in a council estate (government housing) in London.

When Pierre attended the Los Angeles premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King, he brought his parents and siblings along, and it was clear that beauty is a family trait. But Pierre acknowledges that his family has shaped his character too.

In an interview with Curzon, he shared that his parents, grandparents, and community have played a major role in how he carries himself, saying, “They have a strength, an elegance, an emotional intelligence — a way of navigating the world.”

Those qualities have certainly translated into his acting career, with critics describing him as “magnetic” and “terrifically commanding.”

Pierre’s parents didn’t just pass on strong character and nice features; they invested in his acting dreams. Pierre once aspired to be a track-and-field star. But after playing the narrator in his high school’s production of Moby Dick, he discovered a passion for acting. In a way, he was following in the footsteps of his father, who was an actor and drama teacher.

Pierre’s parents nurtured his passion, traveling with him to Toronto, where he studied classical literature for a year. He later moved back to the U.K., where he attended the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA). As a LAMDA alumnus, he’s in good company; other graduates include Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), and David Oyelowo (Selma).

Mufasa may have catapulted Pierre into the spotlight, but he’s proven his acting chops in a variety of roles. On stage, he played Cassio in Othello at the prestigious Shakespeare’s Globe. He’s shone in TV and streaming roles like Netflix’s Rebel Ridge (2024) and National Geographic's Genius (2024) series, where he portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. He’s been brilliant in theatres too, with a supporting role in M. Night Shyamalan’s Old (2021) and a co-lead in the heartfelt film, Brother (2022).

In addition to his acting credits, Pierre has been turning heads off-screen. He had a social media ad campaign with dating app Bumble for Valentine’s Day. He’s taken over magazine racks on the cover of GQ Hype and in the pages of Men’s Health. Plus, there was that viral moment on The Jennifer Hudson Show, where his smooth moves down the ‘spirit tunnel’ had female fans so hot and bothered that the J. Hud social team had to turn the comments off.

On- or off-screen, it’s clear that Aaron Pierre is more than Mufasa — he’s a star in his own right. We’re sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of him, including in his upcoming role in DC Studios’ TV series, Lanterns, where he’ll play John Stewart AKA the Green Lantern.