While Disney’s Aladdin was remarkable for many reasons, chief among them was how the film’s most iconic character emerged from a stand-up routine. Inspiration for Disney’s greatest characters came from many places, with their visual design affecting how a voice actor performed the role. But one Aladdin character, in particular, was formed through the opposite strategy, with the visual concept defined by its actor’s performance. This established the practice of a star-studded roster for animation movies and influenced the animation landscape of the future.

Aladdin was not the first film to cast a comedic powerhouse as one of its supporting characters, nor the first to utilize that talent’s flair for comedy as integral to the character itself. Notably, FernGully: The Last Rainforest followed roughly the same tactic with the same actor, went into production before Disney's Aladdin made his first wish, and was also released in 1992. However, the Aladdin production team had to do more convincing to win over the actor they wanted to fill the role. They had specifically designed the character to fit the performer’s personality and style, so much so that the entire project hinged on his participation.

Related: Aladdin 2019 Has A Sly Cameo From Robin Williams' Genie

How Robin Williams' Stand-Up Helped Define Aladdin's Genie

Robin Williams Come Inside My Mind

The comedian who helped bring such success to Aladdin was Robin Williams. His stand-up routines played a prominent role in influencing the Genie’s visuals and dialogue. During Aladdin’s initial conceptualization, the film’s producers and directors, John Musker and Ron Clements, wrote the character with Williams in mind, intentionally characterizing the Genie as a fast-talking, shape-shifting stand-up comedian. They even pitched the movie as a Robin Williams feature before they approached the actor, so much so that Musker was quoted saying that the whole concept for Aladdin was built around an agreement with Williams.

Beyond Williams acting as the inspiration for Genie’s dialogue, he also defined the iconic character's look. This was especially true given Williams was initially hesitant to join the film but was later convinced when supervising animator Eric Goldberg created a sample reel of the Genie performing one of Williams’ old stand-up routines. The reel utilized the same animation style that would become a hallmark of the Genie’s visual depiction and reportedly entertained Williams so much that he immediately signed on. As such, that fateful animated stand-up reel officially incorporated Williams’ elastic persona, impressions, and enthusiastic energy as pillars of Genie’s character, without which Aladdin would have been fundamentally different.

2019's Remake Proved Robin Williams Will Always Be The Genie

Robin Williams as the Genie in 1992's Aladdin

Williams’ addition to Aladdin was a success, with his Genie becoming one of the most memorable Disney characters to date. In the 2019 Aladdin remake that divided some fans, the producers attempted to follow a similar playbook by getting a big-name comedic actor to fill the Genie’s role, eventually selecting Will Smith to do the job. To his credit, Smith put his spin on the character while still bringing the familiar elements of transformation and humor to the persona. However, even honoring these trademark aspects of the Genie meant that reminders of Williams’ original performance were as much on display as Smith’s novel additions throughout the film.

2019’s Aladdin couldn’t capture the same lightning-in-a-bottle quality as the original. This was due to Williams’ presence and influence on the first film from beginning to end, leaving shoes that were just a bit too big for Smith's Genie to fill for 2019's Aladdin. It proved that Williams’ name will always be the first to mind when considering Aladdin’s Genie, especially the exuberant joy, charm, and heart he brought to the character.

More: What Happened To The Genie At The End Of Aladdin 1992?