Film: The Lion King (1994) | Key Players: Ernie Sabella (Pumbaa), Nathan Lane (Timon)
Disney's The Lion King is a masterpiece of tragedy, triumph, and… fart jokes? While the film is renowned for its emotional depth and iconic soundtrack, its legacy also includes Pumbaa the warthog's infamous flatulence—a gag that exists solely because voice actor Ernie Sabella couldn't resist trolling his co-star Nathan Lane.
The Birth of Pumbaa's Gas
During a recent episode of Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, Nathan Lane spilled the beans on Sabella's early-morning antics:
- Sleepy Sessions: Recording started at dawn, and Lane (Timon) relied on coffee to function. Sabella (Pumbaa) decided to "help" by peppering their takes with improvised fart noises.
- Unscripted Chaos: "He'd say, 'Timon, [fart noise]' just to make me laugh," Lane recalled. Directors Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers found the bit so hilarious, they wrote it into Pumbaa's character, making him Disney's first flatulent star.
Improv Gold: From Jokes to Classics
Sabella's pranks weren't the only ad-libs that stuck:Drag Queen Meerkat: Lane's throwaway line, "What do you want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula?" became the basis for Timon's showstopping Hakuna Matata musical number.
- Dynamic Duo: Sabella modeled Pumbaa's voice on a mix of 1930s actor Wallace Beery and The Godfather's Michael Corleone, while Lane leaned into a "Brooklyn Jewish" meerkat persona. Their chemistry turned the duo into the film's comedic backbone.
Why This Matters
- Disney's Risk: The studio, known for its polished storytelling, embraced raunchy humor here—a precedent that paved the way for future characters like Frozen's Olaf and Moana's Heihei.
- Legacy of Laughter: Pumbaa's gas became a generational punchline, proving that even in a film about loss and destiny, silliness is timeless.
As Lane joked, "Ernie's the reason kids learned to blame farts on warthogs." Thanks, Sabella.