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With all due respect to Academy Award winner Will Smith, voice actor Dan Castellaneta, and the dozens who have played a role in the musical, there is only one Genie, Robin Williams. For those who don’t remember, he was a sheer force on the screen, unique in every possible way. You didn’t direct him so much as wind him up and let him go to work.
Robin Williams. Credit: Flickr
When Williams was selected to be the Genie’s voice in Aladdin (1992), it seemed like an odd fit. Are they going to be Robin Williams in a Disney Film? But it worked. Williams ended up recording more than 30 hours of dialogue for the maybe 25 minutes the Genie is on screen. There is enough left of Williams to make an entirely new movie, but let’s not give Disney any ideas.
Aladdin was a massive hit, and Williams stole the film. It seemed like the beginning of a long and lucrative friendship. So, what happened? Simple, Disney got greedy, and Williams stuck to his guns.
Robin Williams is behind-the-scenes in Disney’s Aladdin. Credit: Disney
When Williams signed on for the role, he had one stipulation: his voice not be used in any toys. Williams was a massive star at the time and commanded millions per movie. Instead, he only took $75,000 for the role to ensure that his voice would not be used to sell products.
Once the movie came out, Disney reneged on their deal with William and started using Genie and his voice to sell products. Robin Williams was furious. He demanded a public apology from Disney. Instead, Chairman of Disney Studios Jeffrey Katzenberg sent Williams a Picasso valued at $1 million, but Williams was still unmoved.
Credit: Disney
A direct-to-VHS sequel of Aladdin with Castellaneta as Genie was released but lacked the flare Williams brought to the role. Finally, in 1994, Joe Roth took over for Katzenberg as Chairman of the Studios and publicly apologized to Williams. He even returned for Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996).
In 2009, Williams was inducted as a Disney Legend at D23, and all was forgotten about the feud.
It’s hard to state how important Williams was to Disney and its animation resurgence. It made using jokes only adults would understand in kids’ films acceptable. He made it all happen. The man was a genius, and he is truly missed. His life was truly remarkable.
