Clifton Oliver, a Broadway actor who starred as Simba in The Lion King, has died at 47. Oliver passed away early Wednesday, his sister Roxy Hall shared on Facebook. Oliver’s cause of death was not disclosed, but his sister said the actor had been in the hospital and hospice six weeks before his death.
“My baby brother, Clifton Oliver, has had his final curtain call. It was peaceful. His partner, Richard, was singing to him the song Psalm 23 as he took his last breath,” Hall wrote. “He had a Gorgeous smile on his Beautiful face!! He went twirling into the afterlife ready to make his Grand Appearance as the Star of his Homecoming Celebration! My heart is sad, and overjoyed at the same time! I will miss him, but he is finally at peace!”
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She continued, “He brought so much light to this world! He brought so much light to my life! He impacted the lives of people throughout the world as he showcased his amazing talent, kind soul, and loving spirit to EVERYONE he met! He will be missed, but never forgotten! He lives within all of us! As the song goes in one of his most prominent roles of Simba in the Lion King on Broadway, He Lives In Me!”
Born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1975, according to Playbill, Oliver studied at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville before beginning his Broadway career in New York City in 2010. He appeared in several popular Broadway productions, serving as an understudy for the role of Fiyero in Wicked and starring as Benny in In the Heights. In 2011, Oliver played Simba in the Broadway production of The Lion King, the highest-grossing Broadway show of all time.
The Instagram account for The Lion King – Musical paid tribute to Oliver on Instagram by quoting Mufasa, “Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars.” The account added, “Our Pride joins in remembering the legacy of the late Clifton Oliver, who shared his talents and light with audiences across Broadway, Las Vegas, and our North American tour from 2000-2011.” In honor of Oliver’s legacy, the lights will be dimmed at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Oliver’s other theatrical credits include Bella: An American Tall Tale, Miracle Brothers, Dreamgirls, and Motown the Musical.
