Exclusive: Chaka Khan Talks Voicing A Character In Disney+ ‘The One And Only Ivan’

Coming out this week on Disney+ is an adaptation of the award-winning book about one very special gorilla, Disney’s “The One and Only Ivan,”  an unforgettable tale about the beauty of friendship, the power of visualization and the significance of the place one calls home. 

Ivan is a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant, Bob the dog, and various other animals. Ivan has few memories of the jungle where he was born, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ivan begins to question his life, where he comes from and where he ultimately wants to be. The heartwarming adventure, which comes to the screen in an impressive hybrid of live-action and CGI, is based on Katherine Applegate’s bestselling book, which won numerous awards upon its publication in 2013, including the Newbery Medal. 

The movie stars Sam Rockwell as the voice of Ivan; Angelina Jolie as the voice of Stella; Danny DeVito as the voice of Bob the dog; Helen Mirren as the voice of Snickers the poodle; Brooklynn Prince as the voice of Ruby; Ramon Rodriguez as the mall employee George; Ariana Greenblatt as George’s daughter Julia; Chaka Khan as the voice of Henrietta the chicken; Mike White as the voice of Frankie the seal; Ron Funches as the voice of Murphy the rabbit; Phillipa Soo as the voice of Thelma the parrot; and Bryan Cranston as Mack, the circus attraction’s owner. “The One and Only Ivan” is directed by Thea Sharrock from a screenplay by Mike White based on Applegate’s book and is produced by the late Allison Shearmur.

For the legendary musical artist Chaka Khan, this is her first big animated voice role. As many awards that she’s won and events that she’s performed at, it’s a rare thing to see, or rather hear, Ms. Khan in a featured film.

BlackFilmandTV.com spoke with Ms. Khan about voicing a role for the film.

What led you to voice a character for this film?

Chaka Khan: Well, I read the script and I liked it. That did it for me. It’s a really good script and a fine movie. It was well done with a good cast.

Had you been asked before to do voiceover or be in a film?

Chaka Khan: I’ve done a few voiceovers in a the cartoon genre, but this is my first big film.

Had you read the novel prior to production?

Chaka Khan: No, I did not. I tried to order it but it’s been out of stock for a long time. I will get it. It’s not important. I know what’s going on. It’s a wonderful story about life. It’s also champions animals. There’s almost no separation between human beings and animals. I didn’t feel like a chicken when I read the part. I just read the part. 

Was there a style you wanted to do with your voice?

Chaka Khan: Danny Devito were reading together and we did talk about it. After a few discussions, he just said,”Chaka just do your normal voice.” 

Without a physical premiere, how was seeing the rest of the cast through zoom?

Chaka Khan: It brought it all home to me. I wish we had all met before the film. I was surprised to see so many famous people in this film. I really enjoyed that, It was fun talking to everybody.

What were some of the animated films you saw that captured your heart?

Chaka Khan: I know there were some in the 1970s. I can’t remember what they were. There was a couple that were like acid trips or something. It's really bizarre stuff. I watched a lot of cartoons. I've been the animated world all my life I guess you could say.

Between this and being on The Masked Singer earlier this year, what goes into saying yes to the projects you take?

Chaka Khan: Well, I really look at them very carefully. I try to be very careful. Do my diligence, but anything for children I mostly do. 

Besides yourself and this wonderful cast, what else is the sell to seeing this film?

Chaka Khan: Because it's a fine film. It is a fun time and work an art as well. It is a strong and beautiful, soulful message that I think families need to check out together. What better time to get together with the grandkids. You will also cry at the joy of this movie. You will also laugh. It's it's got everything in it. There’s a lot of life lessons in it. So it's quite enjoyable.

Music wise, when's the next time we're going to see you perform? Have you been getting offers to do anything online put a concert on?

Chaka Khan: I’ve been offered a lot of stuff to do online. I’m being very careful with that. I’ve done some cameos and I do sing happy birthday to some people and a couple of things for my daughter. Right now, I’m working the pre-production of my life story on film.