Aladdin Quote by James Monroe Iglehart
![“One of the great things about this genie [from Aladdin] is that when Robin Williams created him, and they created this after him, they were allowed to go crazy and when they had to go find someone to play the role live, they had to find someone who was nutty enough to go in different directions.” quote by James Monroe Iglehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/302/james-monroe-iglehart-31738_aladdin_one-of-the-great-things-about-this-genie_3084090.jpg)
“One of the great things about this genie [from Aladdin] is that when Robin Williams created him, and they created this after him, they were allowed to go crazy and when they had to go find someone to play the role live, they had to find someone who was nutty enough to go in different directions.”
About This Quote
Source Film: Aladdin (1992) and Broadway adaptation, Genie character
The Genie was designed to be wildly creative, requiring a performer who can improvise and explore unexpected directions.
In simple terms: The Genie needed a crazy, improvisational actor.
Key Takeaway
Choose bold, flexible talent for dynamic roles.
Themes
creativity
performance
improvisation
Mood
playful
energetic
Type
character analysis
casting insight
When to use this quote
- theatre casting
- film voice acting
- live improv
- character development
Key Concepts
character design
actor autonomy
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you nurture spontaneity while preserving story structure?
- What limits should be set for improvisation?
A Different Perspective
Balancing chaos with narrative coherence can be challenging.
![“People think that [I will leave Aladdin after Tony reward], but what they don't understand is that we actually enjoy what we are doing. This wonderful company that I work for has allowed me to do other things while I'm doing this.” quote by James Monroe Iglehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1af/james-monroe-iglehart-31738_business_people-think-that-i-will-leave-aladdin-a_300083.jpg)
![“I remembered getting the script for the auditions [of Aladdin], I had asked someone there if improvs were allowed, and he said everyone is sticking to the script. I said to myself that they are either going to love me or hate me. I was crossing out lines and throwing in my own lines. I went into…” quote by James Monroe Iglehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e11/james-monroe-iglehart-31738_auditions_i-remembered-getting-the-script-for-the_929165.jpg)
![“I do enjoy that folks [ Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin] really get into [ Aladdin ] because I enjoy getting it. I love it where you just get to go nuts. Ninety percent of what you hear, he wrote. There's ten percent that he let me play around with in the studio and actually put in the…” quote by James Monroe Iglehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/222/james-monroe-iglehart-31738_chad_i-do-enjoy-that-folks-howard-ashman-tim_1216525.jpg)
![“And also, folks live in a regular world, so when they come to our show [Aladdin], we want to take that away from them for a little bit. Just give them two hours to make up for the train that didn't come on time or the terrible news you get from TV.” quote by James Monroe Iglehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/519/james-monroe-iglehart-31738_bits_and-also-folks-live-in-a-regular-world-s_1559915.jpg)
![“I have to maintain the weight. This is the second show [Aladdin] that I have done where I am not allowed to technically lose any weight. I'm supposed to be big. It's impressive to see someone of my size.” quote by James Monroe Iglehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe5/james-monroe-iglehart-31738_bigs_i-have-to-maintain-the-weight-this-is-th_2585246.jpg)
![“When people come to our show [Aladdin], I want them to forget about that for a little while and enjoy the moment. That's what I want to give them. I loved performing since I was a little kid.” quote by James Monroe Iglehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/226/james-monroe-iglehart-31738_aladdin_when-people-come-to-our-show-aladdin-i-w_2999248.jpg)
