Robert Guillaume, Voice of Rafiki in 'The Lion King,' Dies at 89

We have some sad news to pass along this evening. Variety is reporting Robert Guillaume has passed away at the age of 89. Guillaume is best known for his title character role on the sitcom, Benson, and voicing Rafiki in the classic Disney movie, The Lion King.

Guillaume was also cast in several other television, movie, and Broadway roles. Some of his television accolades include the ABC Sitcom, Sports Night, and The Robert Guillaume Show. He was featured in movies such as Meteor Man and Spy Hard. On Broadway, he starred in Cyrano – The Musical and Phantom of the Opera.

Guillaume won several awards during his career including a spoken recording Grammy for his role as Rafiki in The Lion King.

Guillaume was originally born “Robert Peter Williams” in St. Louis, Missouri. He changed his name after he he decided to peruse his acting career. He is survived by his wife, one son (another died in 1990), and three daughters.

Our condolences go out to his friends and family.

Please note: some posts may contain affiliate links which means our team could earn money if you purchase products from our site

Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.

Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.

Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel

Who is your Travel Agent?(Required)

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Phone(Required)

Destination(Required)

# of Adults(Required)

# of Children(Required)

Check-in-Date(Required)

Check-out-Date(Required)

Comments, Questions or Special Requests

Name

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!