Apparently, as Rob Minkoff tells it, the two came in and actually auditioned together, which is unusual for animated film auditions.
Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella portrayed the comedic duo of Timon and Pumba in The Lion King.
As with many comedy sidekick characters in Disney films, the pair became an instant hit, which makes the fact that it almost didn’t happen surprising.
They auditioned to play two of the hyenas, but the two were so funny together that it was decided to cast them as the meerkat and warthog, and the characters were actually created around the actors.