Jason Weaver's net worth: Does he still earn from The Lion King?
Not many child stars manage to build successful careers into adulthood, but Jason Weaver is among the few exceptions. He gained recognition in the 1990s for his roles in The Jacksons, The Lion King, and Smart Guy. With over three decades of a thriving film and TV career, Jason Weaver's net worth has continued to grow.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Jason Weaver was born into a musical family in Chicago. His mother, Kitty Haywood, is a singer and a member of Kitty & the Haywoods, which backed renowned artists like Aretha Franklin. Kitty was instrumental in giving Jason a stable start in show business.
Jason Weaver's profile summary
| Full name | Jason Michael Weaver |
| Nickname | J. Weave |
| Date of birth | July 18, 1979 |
| Age | 45 years old in 2024 |
| Birth sign | Cancer |
| Place of birth | Chicago, Illinois |
| Current residence | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Christian |
| Height | 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 m/180 cm) |
| Gender | Male |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife | Myra Weaver |
| Children | Son Jaylen |
| Parents | Marilyn 'Kitty' Haywood, Robert Lincoln Weaver |
| Profession | Actor, singer, chef |
| Years active | 1990 to date |
| Social media |
What is Jason Weaver's net worth?
Jason Weaver is estimated to be worth $4 million in 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He has earned this wealth through a successful career in both acting and music.
What is Jason Weaver's salary?
Weaver's yearly salary is estimated to be around $500,000, while his monthly salary is around $40,000, according to MoneyInc. Jason was paid $80,000 for portraying Michael Jackson in the 1992 ABC mini-series The Jacksons: An American Dream.
For his prominent role as Young Simba's singing voice in The Lion King, he received $100,000 and royalties for a lifetime. Disney had initially offered him a flat fee of $2 million which he turned down.
Source: Original
Does Jason Weaver still get paid for Lion King?
Jason Weaver's Lion King royalties are still getting to his bank account. While talking to DJ Vlad in October 2019, he revealed that since the film's release in 1994, the total earnings have surpassed the original $2 million offer.
His mother, singer Kitty Haywood, is the one who made the decision to go for the Jason Weaver royalties option. The actor was only 13 when he started recording 'I Just Can't Wait to Be King' and Hakuna Matata for The Lion King in 1992.
The Lion King currently holds the record for the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time. It has grossed over $988 million at the worldwide box office, according to The Numbers.
Jason Weaver's acting career
Weaver was around 10 years old when he started his acting career in 1990, appearing in projects like The Kid Who Loved Christmas and Brewster's Place. His 1992 appearance in The Jacksons: An American Dream catapulted him to childhood stardom.
He landed the role of singing young Simba in The Lion King after Sir Elton John saw his performance in The Jacksons. While speaking to Shadow and Act in July 2019, Jason revealed he did not get the speaking voice because Disney had already closed the deal with actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
They actually did offer me the role, and the director even called business affairs at Disney...And business affairs got back to him and said, nah, we literally just closed the deal. We're not gonna be able to offer that to Jason.
Weaver proceeded to have film and television success with roles in projects like Smart Guy, Drumline, Thea, and ATL. In 2023, he joined the cast of Tyler Perry's Sistas as Brian. He has also been portraying Shaad in the Showtime series The Chi since 2021.
Source: Getty Images
Jason Weaver's movies and TV shows
| Project | Year | Role |
| 'Sistas' | 2023 | Brian |
| The Chi | 2021-date | Shaad |
| AM Radio | 2021 | Willie the Silly DJ |
| Boomerang | 2020 | Barber |
| BlacKorea | 2017 | Mark Senior |
| Merry Ex-Mass | 2016 | Perry |
| Infidelity | 2015 | Frankie |
| Black-ish | 2015 | Ta-Ta |
| Let's Stay Together | 2014 | Curtis |
| Wal-Bob's | 2014 | Keith |
| What Would You Do for Love | 2013 | Troy |
| Note to Self | 2012 | Jay |
| Dysfunctional Friends | 2012 | Gary |
| The LeBrons | 2011-2014 | Condor |
| He's Mine Not Yours | 2011 | Kent |
| Jada | 2008 | Jamal |
| Love For Sale | 2008 | Vince |
| ATL | 2006 | Teddy |
| The Ladykillers | 2004 | Weemack |
| Drumline | 2002 | Ernest |
| Freedom Song | 2000 | Isaac |
| Smart Guy | 1997-1999 | Marcus |
| Summertime Switch | 1994 | Freddie |
| The Lion King | 1994 | Young Simba |
| Thea | 1993-1994 | Jerome |
| The Jacksons: An American Dream | 1992 | Michael |
| The Kid Who Loved Christmas | 1990 | Ernie |
| The Long Walk Home | 1990 | Franklin |
| Brewster's Place | 1990 | Matthew |
Jason Weaver's music career
Weaver had a fairly successful music career in the 1990s. He released his debut album, Love Ambition, with Motown Records in 1995. It featured tracks like Stay with Me and I Can't Stand the Pain.
Jason's single Stay with Me came out in 1996. In 2004, Jason worked with hip-hop star Chingy on the hit single One Call Away.
Jason is also a trained chef from Le Cordon Bleu. He told the Chicago Sun-Times in July 2024 that he joined the culinary school in 2008 to have more career options following the 2007-2008 WGA strike and the Great Recession.
I did not know what the future held as far as me continuing to pursue my dream as a working actor. My reason for going to culinary school was to have another skill so that no matter what, I would still be able to put food on the table.
Source: Getty Images
Jason Weaver today
The actor currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and continues to work in entertainment. Apart from appearing in The Chi series, which is based in his hometown of Chicago, Jason looks forward to stepping into filmmaking roles.
In his September 2024 interview with The TRiiBE, Weaver revealed that he was developing an animated project, which he hopes will help him create jobs. He also plans to take advantage of the lucrative gaming industry.
It will give me the opportunity to grow and build as an executive producer...to employ friends of mine who I know deserve more opportunities through our industry, but have been overlooked – I also want to be able to use that to transition into gaming. I think gaming is the future. It's even a more lucrative industry than film and television.
Source: Getty Images
Jason Weaver's net worth today reflects his multi-faceted career in show business. Now at 45 years old, the entertainer shows no sign of slowing down as he continues to build his legacy.
READ ALSO: Denzel Washington's net worth explained: Movies, businesses & more
Briefly.co.za shared a breakdown of Denzel Washington's net worth and earnings. He has consistently been one of the highest-paid Hollywood stars.
Denzel has been in show business since the 1970s. Check the article for more on how much he was paid for his major films like American Gangster and The Equalizer film franchise.
Source: Briefly News
