JD McCrary: 10 Things To Know About “The Lion King” Star

JD McCrary, who’s 13 years old, was born in Southern California on July 18, 2007. Not surprisingly, it didn’t take very long for his parents to recognize his incredible talents.

“I’ve been singing since I was in diapers,” he laughs. “I used to play ‘Thriller’ and ‘Bad’ because we had the CDs and I would dance.” By six years old, he knew he wanted to be an actor. “I looked at the TV and said, ‘I want to do that!’ And my parents were like, ‘Sure!'”

Since JD and his family lived about 30 minutes outside of Los Angeles, his passion for performing soon took a professional turn. JD started singing at sports games and auditioning for acting roles. At 8, he made his Disney Channel debut on KC Undercover, and by nine years old, he was performing at the Grammys alongside Childish Gambino! JD also sang on Ellen, was a series regular on The Paynes, landed a record deal, and nabbed a scene-stealing role in 2019’s Little. Not bad for someone who wasn’t even a teenager yet!

However, JD’s biggest break thus far would come with his portrayal of Young Simba in 2019’s summer blockbuster and live-action remake of The Lion King.

Now, get to know the “Keep In Touch” singer a little better with these 10 fun facts!

1 – JD loves giving back to charity. 

Back in December, we invited JD to attend Camp Ronald McDonald’s annual holiday carnival, and he immediately told us he’d love to participate! He spent the afternoon signing autographs and happily meeting families who receive services through the charity. Most recently, JD teamed up with Coco Quinn to record a cover of Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande’s quarantine collab, “Stuck with U.” All proceeds were donated to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s research hospital!

2 – He has a big brother named Josh.

JD isn’t the only performer in the family; his brother Josh is an actor, too! He’s guest starred on shows like Shameless and also happens to be hilarious!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Z4aqJF-cy/

3 – He’s a spelling whiz!

Not only is he a great speller, he’s got the accolades to prove it: JD told us he’s won three spelling bees!

4 – He can play ukulele.

Check it out!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4IwgvvhInv/

5 – He loves basketball!

In fact, he attended a Los Angeles Clippers basketball game and was picked to play the “Finish the Lyrics” challenge. The video went totally viral!

And we’re gonna let JD tell you the next 5 fun facts himself! 

It’s incredible to see how much JD has accomplished and we can’t wait to see what’s next for him. “Always be yourself and keep doing what you’re doing,” he says. “Don’t be afraid because being able to express yourself in any way that you choose is the best thing in life.”