{"id":536676,"date":"2023-01-07T00:04:06","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T21:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king\/"},"modified":"2023-01-07T00:04:06","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T21:04:06","slug":"how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king\/","title":{"rendered":"#How I survived passing on &#8216;Lion King&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2f00e879be0\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2f00e879be0\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king\/#%E2%80%9CHow_I_survived_passing_on_%E2%80%98Lion_King%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;How I survived passing on &#8216;Lion King&#8217;&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1>&#8220;How I survived passing on &#8216;Lion King'&#8221;<\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>Justin Guarini surprisingly passed up an opportunity to star in the huge Broadway hit \u201cThe Lion King\u201d while competing on \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d in 2002 \u2014 but he now feels <em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0MxulhivCvI\">hakuna matata<\/a><\/em> about that decision.<\/p>\n<p>The 44-year-old Season 1 runner-up <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_-Et1OKxkuo\">chose to stick with a potential shot<\/a> at superstardom on the then-little-known reality competition, despite getting an offer to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear in the iconic Broadway musical after \u201cyears and years\u201d of auditioning, he recently <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/20-years-after-his-lowest-point-justin-guarini-has-no-regrets-as-long-as-you-stay-in-the-game-itll-always-come-back-around-234320761.html\">told Yahoo! Entertainment.<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Guarini <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aU7GNcRU_4Y\">wound up placing second<\/a> to first-season winner Kelly Clarkson, who is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Fj461uvXmCc\">now the host of her eponymous talk show<\/a>, and subsequently faced numerous career setbacks in the following years, including a failed debut album and the 2003 movie bomb \u201cFrom Justin to Kelly,\u201d which also starred Clarkson.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, just say it: My album was a flop. The movie that I did after that was an absolute flop,\u201d Guarini said. \u201cIt was really painful. Like, I remember it being something that just\u00a0<em>crushed<\/em>\u00a0me, because I had always wanted to have a record deal. I had always wanted to be a recording artist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He has now come to grips, though, with how the industry works.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have benefit of 20 years of hindsight to be able to see that, oh my goodness, this business is truly cyclical,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>Not that Guarini\u2019s early decision-making process was an easy one.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did master classes, which is like the step that you take before you get onto the actual stage,\u201d he said of his shooting for his goal to eventually appear in \u201cThe Lion King.\u201d \u201cAnd everyone in the company management was like, \u2018Look, we want you, but we just don\u2019t have the place for you right now. Just hold on, hold on.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Guarini waited but in the meantime got a slot on a \u201cshow that nobody\u2019s ever heard of called\u00a0\u2018American Idol,&#8217;\u201d the Georgia native recalled, nabbing a \u201cgolden ticket\u201d to Hollywood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I remember sitting in my car, and it was about a week before I had to go to LA \u2014 a place I\u2019d never been before. And I get this call and they\u2019re like, \u2018Hey, we finally have the role for you. We want you. How soon can you start?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-3.jpg?w=685\" alt=\"Justin Guarini at FOX TV's &quot;American Idol&quot;, broadcast live from Television City in Los Angeles, Ca. Tuesday, July 16, 2002. Photo by Kevin Winter\/ImageDirect\/FOX*** Please Call For Usage ***\" class=\"wp-image-25266310\" width=\"618\" height=\"923\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-3.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1234 1236w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-3.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=926 927w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-3.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=618 618w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-3.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=309 309w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-3.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px\"\/><figcaption>Justin Guarini placed second in the first season of \u201cAmerican Idol.\u201d<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While Guarini knew he \u201cmight get cut\u201d from the competition, he felt he had to make the decision of a lifetime, as he had already advanced to the show\u2019s top 30 roster. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI looked up at the stage. I saw the\u00a0\u2018American Idol\u2019\u00a0logo, the smoke, the lights, the dais where the judges sit, and I just started\u00a0<em>crying<\/em>,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd this little voice said to me, \u2018Go with this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stood on the platform of the Pasadena Civic Center and pondered how it was the same stage where <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=J_4mzTw658c\">Michael Jackson performed on at one point<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of my heroes have been on this stage. I don\u2019t know why, but I just\u00a0<em>have<\/em>\u00a0to go with this,\u201d the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9lkoht6mYho\">\u201cDr. Pepper\u201d commercials icon<\/a> said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-2.jpg?w=684\" alt=\"AMERICAN IDOL  516 (The Great Idol Reunion)  In celebration of the milestone 20th season, American Idol greats Ruben Studdard, Scotty McCreery, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Lauren Alaina, Kris Allen, Maddie Poppe, Laine Hardy, Willie Spence, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Grace Kinstler, Laci Kaye Booth and additional surprise guests will reunite on the Idol stage for a night of unforgettable performances. American Idol airs MONDAY, MAY 2 (8:00-9:01 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (Christopher Willard\/ABC via Getty Images)&#10;JUSTIN GUARINI\" class=\"wp-image-25266306\" width=\"618\" height=\"924\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-2.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1234 1236w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-2.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=926 927w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-2.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=618 618w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-2.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=309 309w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-2.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px\"\/><figcaption>Guarini has since <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.playbill.com\/person\/justin-guarini-vault-0000115379\">starred in stage in productions <\/a>including \u201cRomeo and Juliet,\u201d \u201cAmerican Idiot\u201d and \u201cIn Transit.\u201d<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">ABC via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite turning down \u201cThe Lion King\u201d for \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d two decades ago, Guarini wound up appearing on Broadway anyway, in \u201cAmerican Idiot\u201d \u2014 about a decade after his debut on the reality singing competition show.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe bow on this story is that 10 years later, after my season of\u00a0\u2018American Idol\u2019 ended, I would open my very first Broadway show in New York City, and we would have our opening night party in the hotel in the conference room where I first auditioned for\u00a0\u2018American Idol,&#8217;\u201d he told Yahoo! Entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel so lucky to be a part of the Broadway community because there has been no community that I\u2019ve been a part of that\u2019s been more accepting, more loving,\u201d he added. \u201cThey don\u2019t care where you come from \u2014 as long as you show up, you do your job, you\u2019re kind and you tell the story, they love you. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I love them for that as well.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/01\/06\/american-idol-loser-justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;How I survived passing on &#8216;Lion King&#8217;&#8221; Justin Guarini surprisingly passed up an opportunity to star in the huge Broadway hit \u201cThe Lion King\u201d while competing on \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d in 2002 \u2014 but he now feels hakuna matata about that decision. The 44-year-old Season 1 runner-up chose to stick with a potential shot at superstardom&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":536677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-guarini-how-i-survived-passing-on-lion-king-homepage.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[138101,7918,21128,29467,138155,21849,9846,29003],"class_list":["post-536676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-1-6-23","tag-actors","tag-american-idol","tag-broadway","tag-justin-guarini","tag-kelly-clarkson","tag-singers","tag-the-lion-king"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}