who played the lion in the wiz live
Ted Ross Theodore Ross Roberts (June 30, 1934 â€“ September 3, 2002), known as Ted Ross, was an American actor who was probably best known for his role as the Lion in The Wiz, an all-African American reinterpretation of The Wizard of Oz. He won a Tony Award for the original 1975 Broadway production, and went on to recreate the role in the 1978 film version which also starred Diana Ross (no relation), Michael Jackson and Nipsey Russell. Ross went on to appear in films including the role of Bitterman in the classic Arthur, and on the television sitcoms The Jeffersons, Benson, The Cosby Show, and its spin-off A Different World. His final role was in the 1991 movie The Fisher King.
Scar (The Lion King) Tim Curry and Malcolm McDowell were originally considered for the role of Scar.[29] However, Curry left the role due to Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and the role was ultimately won by Jeremy Irons[24] because of his classical theater training; the directors had deliberately wanted Scar "to come across as a Shakespearean character."[29] Successfully recruiting Irons for the film was considered an unprecedented achievement for the studio because, at the time, it was rare for a dramatic actor of Irons's caliber to agree to voice an animated character,[30] especially immediately after winning an Academy Award.[26] In fact, the Oscar-winning actor[31] nearly declined because, in fear of jeopardizing his successful career, he was "[h]esitant to jump from a dramatic role to an animated feature."[32] Prior to The Lion King, Irons was famous for starring as several villains and antagonists in live-action films "geared towards adults."[33] Although he had starred in a children's film before, the actor admitted that it did not mirror the success of The Lion King,[33] a film that has since gained notoriety for its cast of well known, award-winning Hollywood actors,[34] which animation historian Jerry Beck referred to in his book The Animated Movie Guide as "the most impressive list of actors ever to grace an animated film."[35]