Jason Weaver
American actor and singer (born 1979)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jason Michael Weaver (born July 18, 1979), also known by his stage name J-Weav, is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his roles as a child actor, portraying a young Michael Jackson in the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, and starring in the television sitcoms Thea (1993–1994) and Smart Guy (1997–1999).[1] He has played the recurring role of Rashaad "Shaad" Marshall in the Showtime drama series The Chi.
- Actor
- singer
His most globally recognized work is providing the singing voice of young Simba in Disney's animated feature film The Lion King (1994).[2] As a recording artist, he was featured on Chingy's 2004 hit single "One Call Away", which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3]
Early life and family
Jason Michael Weaver was born in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Marilyn "Kitty" Haywood, was a member of the Chicago-based female vocal group Kitty & the Haywoods. The group provided backing vocals on Aretha Franklin's soundtrack album for the 1976 film Sparkle.[4] Due to his mother's career, Weaver was exposed to the music industry from a young age. He attended Thornwood High School.
Career
1990–1996: Child stardom and The Lion King
Weaver's acting career began in 1990 with a role in Oprah Winfrey's television drama series Brewster Place. His breakthrough came in 1992 when he was cast to portray the pre-teen version of Michael Jackson in the acclaimed ABC miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream. His performance was well received by critics and audiences.[4]
Following this success, he was cast as Jerome Turrell, the son of the title character, in the ABC sitcom Thea, which aired from 1993 to 1994 and also starred a young Brandy Norwood.[1]
In 1994, Weaver provided the singing voice for the young lion cub Simba in Disney's animated classic The Lion King, performing on the songs "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" and "Hakuna Matata".[2] The role was initially offered with a flat fee of $2 million. However, on the advice of his mother, Weaver's family opted for a smaller one-time payment of $100,000 in exchange for a percentage of future royalties from the film's soundtrack sales. This decision proved to be highly lucrative due to the immense and enduring success of the soundtrack, earning him significant returns over the decades.[5][6]
Buoyed by his success, Weaver signed with Motown Records and released his debut studio album, Love Ambition, on June 27, 1995.[4] The album produced two singles that charted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart: "Love Ambition (Call on Me)" and "I Can't Stand the Pain."[7]
1997–2010: Smart Guy and musical collaborations
From 1997 to 1999, Weaver starred as Marcus Henderson, the older brother of child prodigy T.J. Henderson, in the WB sitcom Smart Guy.[1] After the show ended, he continued to act in film, with roles in Drumline (2002) and The Ladykillers (2004).
In 2003, Weaver collaborated with rapper Chingy as the featured vocalist on the hit single "One Call Away." The song was a major commercial success, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.[3][8] In 2006, he appeared in a supporting role as Teddy in the coming-of-age film ATL.
2011–present: Later acting roles and The Chi
In his later career, Weaver has continued to act in various films and television series. In 2021, he joined the cast of the Lena Waithe-created Showtime drama series The Chi in a recurring role as Rashaad "Shaad" Marshall. His character was introduced in season 4 and has since become a significant part of the series.[9]
Personal life
Weaver has two sons, Jaylen Zylus Weaver (b. 2002)[10] and River Jeremiah Weaver (b. October 2025).
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [3] |
US R&B [7] | |||
| "Love Ambition (Call on Me)" | 1995 | — | 32 | Love Ambition |
| "I Can't Stand the Pain" | — | 60 | ||
| "Stay with Me" | 1996 | — | 59 | Non-album single |
| "One Call Away" (as featured artist with Chingy) |
2004 | 2 | 3 | Jackpot |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Long Walk Home | Franklin Cotter | |
| The Kid Who Loved Christmas | Ernie | TV movie | |
| 1994 | The Lion King | Young Simba (singing voice) | |
| Summertime Switch | Fast Freddie Egan | TV movie | |
| 2000 | Freedom Song | Isaac Hawkins | TV movie |
| 2002 | Drumline | Ernest | |
| 2003 | Mickey's PhilharMagic | Simba (voice) | Short |
| 2004 | The Ladykillers | Weemack Funthes | |
| 2006 | ATL | Teddy | |
| 2008 | Love for Sale | Vince | |
| Jada | Jamal | ||
| 2010 | Lottery Ticket | Ray-Ray | |
| 2011 | He's Mine Not Yours | Kent | |
| 2012 | Dysfunctional Friends | Gary | |
| Note to Self | Jay Lewis | ||
| 2013 | Hope for Love | Ricky | |
| When a Woman's Fed Up | Troy | ||
| Comedy of Errorz | Dre | ||
| Marry Me for Christmas | Franklin | TV movie | |
| What Would You Do for Love | Troy | TV movie | |
| 2014 | Wal-Bob's | Keith Harrington | |
| 2015 | Infidelity | Frankie | |
| 2016 | Merry Ex-Mas | Perry | TV movie |
| 2017 | Another Man Will | - | |
| BlacKorea | Mark Senior | Short | |
| 2021 | AM Radio | Willy the Silly DJ | |
| 2022 | The Deadly Getaway | Jacob |
Television
| Year | Legacy | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Brewster Place | Matthew Thomas | Recurring cast |
| 1992 | The Jacksons: An American Dream | Michael Jackson (ages 9–14) | Episode: "Part I & II" |
| 1993–94 | Thea | Jerome Turrell | Main cast |
| 1995 | Soul Train | Himself | Episode: "Aaron Neville/Silk/Jason Weaver" |
| 1996 | Sister, Sister | Nick/Darnell | Guest cast: Season 3–4 |
| 1997–99 | Smart Guy | Marcus Henderson | Main cast |
| 2011–14 | The LeBrons | Condor (voice) | Main cast |
| 2014 | Let's Stay Together | Curtis | Recurring cast: Season 3 |
| 2015 | Black-ish | Ta-Ta | Episode: "Chop Shop" |
| 2016 | Nubbin & Friends | Ollie The Squirrel (voice) | Episode: "The Letter "A"" |
| 2018 | Unsung | Himself | Episode: "The Boys" |
| 2020 | Boomerang | Curtis | Episode: "Reversal of a Dog" |
| 2021– | The Chi | Rashaad "Shaad" Marshall | Recurring cast: Season 4–7, Main cast: Season 8 |
| 2023 | Sistas | Brian | Recurring cast: Season 6 |
| 2025 | The Kardashians | Himself | Episode: "I Just Can’t Wait to Be King" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Young Artist Award | Outstanding Young Performer in a Miniseries or Special | The Jacksons: An American Dream | Won | [11] |
| 1994 | Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Television Series | Thea (Shared with cast) | Nominated | [12] | |
| 1995 | Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Voiceover | The Lion King | Won | [13] |