Clifton Oliver, who was best known for his role as Simba in the Broadway production of “The Lion King,” died this past week. He was 47.
Oliver’s sister Roxy Hall confirmed his passing in a statement on Facebook on Wednesday. She wrote, “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 this morning at 3:20 AM. 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!”
Hall continued, “My heart is sad, and overjoyed at the same time! I will miss him, but he is finally at peace! 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!”
Oliver’s cause of death has not been revealed, but his sister wrote that he spent at least six weeks in the hospital and in hospice care.
“He will be missed, but never forgotten! He lives within all of us!” Hall wrote as she concluded her post. “As the song goes in one of his most prominent roles of Simba in the Lion King on Broadway, He Lives In Me! I will value my time with him the last six weeks of his life that I spent at his bedside in the hospital and then finally hospice. I was able to love on my baby brother, and I will always cherish the memories of having an honor and privilege to do just that!”
Hall added that she will be sharing information about a celebration of Oliver’s life.
The Instagram account for Broadway’s “The Lion King” also posted a tribute to the star. The account captioned a photo of Oliver as Simba with, “Today, 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.”
The caption continued, “As we continue to honor his legacy, a dimming of the lights will occur at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, at 5PM EST.”
Playbill.com shared that Oliver was born in December 1975 in Jacksonville, Florida. He moved to New York City in 2010 and soon earned a spot in the ensemble of “Wicked,” in addition to a number of other roles both on and off Broadway.
Oliver also appeared in a 2004 episode of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
Oliver posted videos of various auditions, as well as vocal performances, on his YouTube page. You can watch him perform “Time After Time” in the video below:
