Tom Cruise inspired ‘Aladdin’, despite having nothing to do with it
Tom Cruise has a magnetic screen presence that has rippled throughout cinema.
Whether you’re watching the work of Glen Powell or revisiting Stanley Kubrick’s filmography, there is not one corner of the medium that has been untouched by his influence. After shattering the boundaries of the action world through his nerve-wracking affinity for performing dangerous stunts himself, leading him to hurl himself from planes, cliff faces, and air shafts, the actor forever changed the possibilities of the genre and elevated the standards for everyone in the business.
Much to the dismay of modern action stars like Tom Holland and Daniel Craig, it is not acceptable to half-arse these kinds of stunts anymore, and the Cruise way of working has now infiltrated modern productions and added a new layer of fear to the job.
While his presence might be felt in a range of commercial projects and high-brow indie films, there is one genre that, despite not being touched by Cruise, has still managed to morph in his image.
Regardless of being known for their consistent churning out of complete and utter rubbish, Disney was not always the disappointment that it has turned into in recent years. The studio was once celebrated for beloved animated classics that defined our childhood and lifted us out of bad moods as adults. They’re the perfect films to watch when you’re having a tough week at work, hungover or feeling homesick, with audiences all over the world returning to their slate of films when caught in a vulnerable state of mind.
But while Cruise hasn’t gone near the studio throughout his entire career, there is one classic film of theirs that was influenced by his one-of-a-kind mannerisms, with one of the studio’s animators describing how a titular character in Aladdin was inspired by his work in Top Gun.
Top Gun is a firm favourite within Cruise’s filmography, with the story of the swashbuckling fighter pilots and their proclivity for danger becoming a staple of the action genre. However, who knew that this character seeped its way into the appearance of Aladdin, with Disney animator Glen Keane saying, “I originally was thinking of him like a Michael J Fox character, short in stature but with a big ego and lots of dreams”.
However, his early version of the character looked too young, and so it was suggested to him that he watch a tape of Cruise’s performance in the iconic film and incorporate his charisma into the charming young ‘street rat’.
Keane explained, “In all his poses, I noticed there was a confidence, a look in the eyebrows, that gives him intensity and at the same time a smile that has kind of an impish look, like he’s got something up his sleeve,” a look that is certainly reminiscent of his daredevil character in Top Gun.
Aladdin is certainly one of the most endearing Disney characters, a cheeky chappy who you cannot help but fall for after watching his clever schemes and tricks unravel. It’s the kind of similarity that you won’t be able to help but notice the next time you revisit Top Gun.
