L. Steven Taylor on Strong Roots, the Business of His Name and Ruling Broadway in The Lion King

Age: 36

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN

Current Role: Mufasa, king of the Pride Lands and father of Simba, in the Broadway blockbuster musical The Lion King.

Stage and Screen Cred: Taylor made his Broadway debut in The Lion King in 2006. His film and TV credits include The Electric Company, Last of the Ninth, Made For Each Other and Game Over. He took on the principal role of Mufasa in Broadway’s The Lion King on July 10.

"I grew up in a bad neighborhood in the inner city. Musical theater was thought of as corny and cheesy. But I fell in love with it when I saw a tour of Les Miz. There was a black guy in it; I didn’t know black people did musical theater! It changed my life."

"On my thigh I have this tattoo of the big oak tree that stood in our front yard. I was raised by my grandmother—she raised the whole family. The tattoo represents everything she was: strong, strict and nurturing."

"I taught preschool for two and a half years. I was also a camp counselor and a lifeguard. There’s always a need for a positive male influences—at least where I grew up. It was something to fall back on, but I was moonlighting as an actor at the same time."

"The Mufasa costume is so big and dramatic. It felt like it was swallowing me up. I was not familiar with wearing a big headdress. It almost made me feel inadequate. That feeling made me make a decision to change my body: I wanted to be big and kingly."

"There can only be one person per name in the union. My name is actually Steven Lamar Taylor. There was already a Steven Taylor and a Steven L. Taylor in Equity. I had just finished doing How to Succeed in Business;  my name was influenced by J. Pierrepont Finch."

"Statistically speaking, I should be locked up right now. My brother is in jail, and it would have been very easy for me to make that turn. The fact that I am here now as the king in the biggest musical in the world is surreal and humbling. I still pinch myself."