I was very different than everybody else growing up. I spoke a different language at home, I ate different food, and I looked different. So I could always relate to Aladdin in that way, being the outcast.
As artists we have an extraordinary and rare privilege to tell the stories of our people, our land, our culture. They grip us, tear us apart, and put us back together. We are our stories.
It's a funny thing that's happening online. The Middle Easterners want 'Aladdin' to be a Middle Eastern story, and the Indians want 'Aladdin' to be an Indian story. The truth is, it's really a folk tale from the 1800s, and Agrabah is a fictional place that's a culmination of India and Asia and the Middle East.
Actions speak louder than words, and the best way to set an example is to just go out and do a good job.
Even though I'm very fortunate and grateful to have played Aladdin, there were still four, five casting directors who never gave me a shot in Toronto. They didn't give me the time of day. I never got to audition for them.
My exercise regime for the film was really intense. I'd work out with a trainer six days a week, and then I had a stunt rehearsal team that would do boxing, stretching, and a little bit of parkour. And yet, people don't get to see me shirtless in this movie. I don't know if you've seen the trailer, but this Aladdin wears a shirt.
Growing up in a Mediterranean household ruined my tastebuds a little bit because my mom, my sisters, and my aunt were all great cooks, and ever since I went plant-based, I've been missing a little bit of that Mediterranean affection.
I think it's time we start chipping away at the stereotypes in Hollywood about the Middle East, and the Arab World, because it's one of the most beautiful regions in the world.
There is such a peace out in the middle of the desert. There's nothing like it.
When we represent all cultures with sensitivity and truth, we foster a society that supports all people.
I always view auditions as the first and last time I'll ever do a character, so that's how I like to see the joy in it. Assuming I don't ever book this, I get to play this character this one time and give it my all because I'll never play it again.
The beautiful thing about art is that there's always somewhere to go. There's always something new to explore and, as an artist, that's just what I want to do. I wanna keep exploring new things with different directors with different producers and different styles and tones.
I want people to know that it's not always dandelions and roses when you're doing something like 'Aladdin.'
There's always a wild card or two when you're casting. I'm usually the wild card. In a room of Caucasian guys, a director might be like, 'OK, let's see, like, two guys who aren't. And maybe they'll be the wild card choice.'
Guy Ritchie likes to ground things in realism.
I think since 'Aladdin' my expectations for things releasing and what they're going to do in my career, I've had to really pull them back.
My parents knew about the story of Aladdin far before the animation film. It's a folk tale that is very prevalent in Egypt.
I have two older sisters.
My first professional gig was on a show called 'Nikita,' and I played Al Qaeda No. 2. At that time I had to take those roles because I just wanted to get my foot in the door.
I grew up speaking Arabic at home.
