Aaron Pierre on his big year with “Rebel Ridge”, succeeding James Earl Jones in “Mufasa”, and “Lanterns” casting

Aaron Pierre is an introvert. More specifically, "recluse" is a word he brings up multiple times. That might come as a surprise when you meet the 6-foot-3 actor who played a Marine veteran facing a horde of corrupt small-town cops in slow-burn action-er Rebel Ridge, fierce civil rights revolutionary Malcolm X in the fourth season of Genius, and the future king of Pride Rock in Disney's The Lion King prequel. But his presence on screen feels more like a transformation for the real Pierre.

With a deep, resonant voice that demonstrates why he was the right person to succeed James Earl Jones as Mufasa, the English actor, 30, remains unhurried as he takes his time to think and articulate exactly what he wants to say.

"It's been a really beautiful year. I'm just filled with gratitude and a deep appreciation for the love and the energy and the support," he tells Entertainment Weekly of being thrust into the mainstream spotlight. "A lot of this moment for me has been enjoyed in the privacy of my tiny apartment here in L.A. I think that also helped me navigate it, the fact that I'm very rarely outside and the majority of my time is spent indoors reading, [listening to] audiobooks, cooking, chilling."

Related: Aaron Pierre explains how Rebel Ridge exposes the real process that allows police to seize property without charges

What is he reading these days? "I'm actually really into stoicism right now. I'm reading The Daily Stoic again, which is really wonderful," he says, referring to the daily motivational book of stoic philosophy, co-authored by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. "It's lots of amazing, amazing gems in there."

Pierre has been spending a lot more time outside his apartment on the international promotional tour for Mufasa, auditioning for the role of DC comics superhero John Stewart in HBO's Green Lanterns series, and filming a part in Apple's The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. He opens up about it all in an interview with EW.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Obviously, when you're making something, you never really know what is going to blow up until it's out in the world. When was your first inkling that Rebel Ridge was getting the attention that it got at that time?

AARON PIERRE: Wow, you just made a really special point there: you cannot control the uncontrollable. All you can focus on is the moment which you have to create the thing. So, myself and the phenomenal cast, artists I got to collaborate with...[Director] Jeremy Saulnier; the crew who I love so deeply; I'm always shouting them out; I became so close with so many of them. The studio, all of us banded together, and we said, "We are going to make this the best version of itself. We are going to leave no stone unturned. We are going to give it everything." And beyond that point, we just have to set it free. And we did that. When people had the opportunity to engage with it, we were just blown away. We love it, so to know that other people love it too just filled our cup and warmed our hearts.

I also wanted to bring up Underground Railroad. I couldn't help but notice that, including yourself, a few of those team members came over to work on Mufasa. Did conversations for Mufasa start when you were making that show? 

No, they didn't, actually. I could be wrong, but I think [Mufasa and Underground Railroad director] Barry Jenkins and I were messaging in 2020 during the time that I was in the Dominican Republic filming Old with M. Night Shyamalan. I remember Barry texted me something like, "Can you sing?" And I was like, "We'll see!"

Related: Lanterns star Aaron Pierre hasn't seen the Ryan Reynolds movie, talks casting process (exclusive)

Watching Mufasa, I kept thinking, "I can't believe these guys pulled off a prequel to Hamlet." Did Barry talk about the film in Shakespearian terms with you all behind the scenes?

Yeah, for sure. The original 1994 Lion King has such a special place in all of our hearts, and outside of the context of the team that put this Mufasa: The Lion King together, it has a special place in the world's heart. So, we definitely discussed and delved into the enormity of what we were embarking on. I think it's important [to do so] as opposed to trying to not address the elephant in the room. That's going to only be conducive to us all being able to wrap our minds around it and then get to work. [The Lion King] was one of the first Disney movies that I ever watched. I was born in '94, so of course, I didn't watch it then, but I just fell in love with the scenery, the colors, the sounds, and then even more specifically, the music. It was just so captivating.

James Earl Jones casts a very large shadow over the character of Mufasa. How helpful was it for you as an actor to look back on what he did with the role?

I was massively inspired by James Earl Jones' — the great James Earl Jones' — original portrayal of Mufasa. Just for a moment, outside of the context of Mufasa: The Lion King, James Earl Jones, for me, has always been an enormous inspiration. He's the top of the mountain. It doesn't get higher than James Earl Jones for me. I think any fear, any nerves that I felt, which of course I did feel, they actually served me because I was portraying an adolescent version of this great king who is so wise and has everything together and is the pinnacle of his community and celebrated and championed. I like to say that, in this film, we get to meet these characters who we love so much in their adolescence and they're not quite in their bodies. They're kind of wearing shoes that are two or three sizes too big that they've got to grow into.

This is now the second time you and Kelvin Harrison, Jr. played an iconic character pairing together after Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. in Genius: MLK/X. With the benefit of hindsight, do you feel like Genius was a big stepping stone for you and Kelvin to get to this point in your careers? 

Firstly, Kelvin Harrison, Jr. is my brother and a phenomenal artist. I love him so very dearly. Genius: MLK/X was truly a massive moment of evolution and growth for me. Yes, artistically, of course, but I would say arguably more as a man, to have to learn how to navigate the enormity of that responsibility. Malcolm X is a hero of mine, and I was certainly very, very nervous to embark on that journey. I wanted to serve him. I wanted to serve Dr. Betty Shabazz [Malcolm's wife]. I wanted to serve their legacies. I wanted to serve their courage. I wanted to serve their passion for unifying people. When [executive producers] Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood first offered me the role, they did so on Malcolm X's birthday. They knew what they were doing because they know I'm an over-thinker, they know how I operate. I didn't say yes straight away. I was so nervous, but I'm glad I did, and I would do it again and again and again.

Related: How Mufasa pays tribute to James Earl Jones: 'It was something we had to do'

If you could, is there another iconic character pairing that you and Kelvin could play together?

We're actually looking for a play right now. We would both really love to find a play that we can do on Broadway or in the West End in London. We're both hungry to be on stage, and we're just looking for the right thing. We actually both have a script that we need to read. Hopefully, we will land on that thing soon.

You're casting in HBO's Lanterns was so heavily monitored by the press. What was that audition process like while the Hollywood trades were essentially giving live updates to the casting every few days?

It was a beautiful experience. As I say, I am an introvert. Despite my job, I'm an introvert, and I am somewhat of a recluse, so I wasn't too aware of the conversation surrounding any updates. I was just locked into giving the very best version that I could of this beautiful character in the rigorous audition processes. I'm a firm believer that what's meant for you won't miss you. So, I gave my best and then set it free. Now, I've been gifted the opportunity to bring this beautiful character to life, and hopefully, I serve John Stewart. Hopefully, I serve the Green Lantern Corps. We're just really excited for the people to see what we put together here.

Have you seen the original Ryan Reynolds live-action movie?

I haven't seen that, no.

Is that on your list to research before filming starts?

Most definitely. Most definitely.

Related: Meet Kiros, Mads Mikkelsen's villainous pack leader of Disney's Mufasa prequel (exclusive)

I grew up watching Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. That was the biggest representation of John Stewart on screen for me. Was that also your era when you were younger, or did you miss that? 

I think Justice League Unlimited might have been one of my first introductions to John Stewart. I think it's just so exciting. What [DC Studios co-heads] James Gunn and Peter Safran, [executive producer] Tom King, [showrunner] Chris Mundy, and [executive producer] Damon Lindelof did, I think it's just so exciting. We can't wait to get to work.

I also wanted to ask you about The Morning Show. Talk about a very distinct and completely different flavor. What was that experience like coming into this New York-set drama?

I loved it. I keep saying this: it is quite literally impossible not to have a blast on the set of The Morning Show. I'm always a student, and I'll continue to do that right until the day I say I'm putting the gloves up, but I was really craving at this particular moment in my career to be a student and continue to work with artists who have vastly more experience than me. I was gifted with the opportunity to learn from Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Marion Cotillard, Greta Lee, Billy Crudup — just be a sponge and absorb. The things that I learned on that set are truly things that I will take with me for the rest of my journey.

Mufasa: The Lion King opens in theaters this Friday. Rebel Ridge is currently available to stream on Netflix.

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