The original ethnic prince: Aladdin facts that fans should know
We have seen him in the original film and its sequels. We enjoyed his antics in his animated series and his 'video game' has been a large part of our early years. Aladdin is an unconventional Disney prince who started as a petty thief but ended up becoming the first crush of teenage girls around the world. Here are some lesser-known facts about him.
One of a kind in design and appearance
Before Aladdin, Disney princes were one-tone, based on Caucasian males. As per Glen Keane, Aladdin's lead-animator, ''I could never understand why Snow White and Sleeping Beauty fell for those princes. Those guys were cardboard symbols, and the love relationship was assumed. We wanted there to be a 'how' to the princess falling in love.'' Thus, the layered, cunning, funny, and ethnic Aladdin was born.
Celebrities who inspired Aladdin's character
A lot of work went into making Aladdin likable. His character needed to be really handsome, so they based him on Michael J Fox. The end result was unsatisfactory, so his age was increased from 13 to 18 and he was made bolder. He was subsequently modeled on Tom Cruise and his iconic "harem" style pants were taken from the videos of MC Hammer.
Here's how he met everyone
Aladdin is incomplete without the people (and animals) who support him. He met Abu in a circus when he was 16. Jasmine was love-at-first-sight and met him in Agrabah's streets. He met the villain Jafar in a prison, who led him to the 'Cave of Wonders' where he met Genie and the Carpet. After Jafar was defeated, the greedy parrot Iago joined Aladdin.
A true rags to riches story
Aladdin is a Disney 'prince' who wasn't born one. He was born to Cassim (King of Thieves) and his wife and was abandoned after his parents' presumed death. He was too poor to afford clothes and started living as a thief. Because he was good at heart, his fortunes turned and he later became a real prince, marrying Jasmine, the woman of his dreams.
