Blue Ivy’s ‘Lion King’ Role Defended Against Nepo Baby Claims: ‘She Was the Right Young Woman for the Job’

Blue Ivy Carter is stepping into the world of voice acting with her debut in a major motion picture, and her success isn’t attributed to her superstar parents. According to Barry Jenkins, director of Mufasa: The Lion King, Blue Ivy landed the role due to her own talent, not because of her famous father, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, or her multifaceted mother, Beyoncé.

Beyoncé will reprise her role as Nala, Kiara’s mother, in the film, but Jenkins made it clear that Blue Ivy’s casting was all about her ability to bring the character of Kiara to life.

“She did a wonderful job bringing this character to life,” Jenkins told Entertainment Tonight. “I’m really proud of her, really proud of the work she did. As we were thinking about who could play this character, I thought, ‘Oh, this is it. She’s the right age, and the right vibe. Let’s test it out.’”

Jenkins emphasized that Blue Ivy’s performance was exceptional, saying, “She was just tremendous. There are some things she does in this film that are really emotional. She’s a thespian. [And the casting] had nothing to do with Mom and Dad. She was the right young woman for the job.”

The idea of having the mother-daughter duo voice act together in the animated film came to Jenkins after hearing Blue Ivy’s audiobook recording of Matthew Cherry’s Hair Love. Inspired by her performance, Jenkins decided to explore the possibility of Blue Ivy joining the cast.

“Starting this project and just having that in the ether, I was like, ‘Is it worth a shot? Would Blue Ivy want to do it? Would Beyoncé want to act opposite her daughter? Is it too close to home?’” Jenkins told Entertainment Weekly. “But once we put the question to them, they both responded with enthusiasm.”

With both mother and daughter on board, Mufasa: The Lion King is shaping up to be a unique project, showcasing the talents of one of the most talked-about families in entertainment.