Nick Jonas recently opened up about fatherhood and shared that the Disney classic The Lion King still makes him emotional. The singer and actor spoke about this during a panel discussion for his new film Power Ballad held at 92NY in New York City on Monday, May 18.
Nick attended the discussion along with co star Paul Rudd, director John Carney and host Josh Horowitz. During the conversation, he spoke about movies, music and his experiences as a father to his daughter, Malti Marie.
When asked whether any films or songs make him emotional, Nick first mentioned that a few scenes from Power Ballad affected him deeply because of his connection to family life as a parent.
He said, “Well, I’ll say there are two scenes in this movie that I’m not in, and they hit me super hard as a father. I think there’s a real thing that you’ll see. I want you to think about this powerful stuff, family, that aspect. Then, outside of that, when I cry over a movie, it’s The Lion King.”
Nick also shared that watching films again with his daughter has become a special experience for him. He explained that revisiting stories from his childhood now feels different because he is sharing them with Malti.
He said, “You know, things that I’m getting to watch with my daughter these days and kind of read some of those experiences, the stories that shaped who I became, and now I’m sharing that with her. It’s a totally special thing to experience.”
Nick and wife Priyanka Chopra Jonas welcomed their daughter Malti Marie in 2022. Both stars often speak publicly about parenting and trying to give their child a normal upbringing despite their global fame.
In a recent podcast appearance, Priyanka shared that they are trying to protect Malti’s privacy as she grows older. She said, “As she’s growing older, we’ve started to also kind of just deflect a little bit. She moves around a lot, [so we] let her have as much anonymity as she can.”
Priyanka also praised Nick’s parenting skills in an earlier interview, calling him “very hands-on.” She revealed that he often takes care of small parenting duties, including preparing Malti for school activities.
Meanwhile, Power Ballad features Nick Jonas as Danny Wilson, a former boy band singer whose career changes after he uses a song written by a struggling wedding singer played by Paul Rudd. The film follows their complicated friendship and conflict over music and recognition.