Childish Gambino Performs Alongside Young Simba
If you're trying to figure out who that talented young kid was performing alongside Childish Gambino at the Grammy Awards this evening, the answer is even more glorious than you think. Gambino's alter ego, Donald Glover, stars in Disney's upcoming live-action reboot of The Lion King as Simba – and 10-year-old JD McCrary, who performed 'Terrified' with Gambino this evening, plays Young Simba.
This revelation emerged on Twitter after activist April Reign voiced the question we were all asking.
Y'all are telling me that was JD McCrary, who will be playing Young Simba in the live action Lion King movie. I'm here for it. #GRAMMYs https://t.co/xuBLpBr2WS
- April (@ReignOfApril) January 29, 2018
Per The LA Times, McCrary is also featured on the album version of 'Terrified', and he was only nine when the original song was recorded. The album on which the song appears, Awaken, My Love!, is up for Album of the Year this evening. 'Redbone', another track from the album, has already won for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
There are a lot of live-action Disney remakes on the way, but The Lion King is pretty clearly going to blow the rest of them out of the water on the basis of its cast alone. It includes Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, a returning James Earl Jones as Mufasa, and literal Queen Bey as Nala.
