Jason Weaver turned down $2m Lion King offer; 32 years later, royalties still pay

At 13, most children are still figuring out what they want to be when they grow up. For Jason Weaver, however, life had already presented an opportunity that could have changed his family's fortunes overnight. When Disney offered him $2 million to lend his voice to young Simba in The Lion King, it was the kind of money most teenagers could only dream of. But his mother and manager, Marilyn “Kitty” Haywood, saw something beyond the staggering figure. She turned down the lump-sum offer, negotiated an upfront payment of around $100,000 and royalties instead, and made a decision that Weaver says continues to pay off more than three decades later.Now 47, the actor and singer has revealed how his mother's foresight helped him build a lasting source of income from one of Disney's most successful animated films.