I grew up loving okra.
I don't like the word 'vegan' on its own, and the reason I started Evolving Vegan, is because the people associated with that word can be very militant.
In fact, in the original folk tale, Aladdin was actually of Chinese descent. So what we wanted to do with this was represent as many different cultures from that part of the world as possible.
I can't compete for roles that require me to be Caucasian or African American, even if those characters really connect with me and intrigue me.
I went through it in high school. It's like, 'Who am I? Am I good enough? Is my background good enough? I know I'm different, but do I have a voice?'
Aladdin is a good soul. He is very selfless and usually does things for other people, but as he falls in love, he loses himself a little bit and starts to become someone that he is not. But he is a person with good intentions and has good people surrounding him who lead him back to where he is supposed to be.
You never know how things will work out.
You've got to have confidence that the universe is working out for you.
When we uplift artists who reflect diverse perspectives their stories not only tell us how people view others, but how they view themselves.
Growing up, I didn't see anybody with my skin color or my background. I didn't know it was possible to have a Middle Eastern actor in a lead role.
My wish would be for positive representation and more diversity coming from Hollywood.
I think Middle Eastern hair is very resilient.
I grew up on Abdul Halim Hafez and Esmail Yassine, a great comedic actor. I think Adel Imam also changed and revolutionised the game and comedy in Egypt.
We're trying to give back to artists of colour and make the journey for them a little easier.
Aladdin' was one of the few things that I watched as a kid where I was like, 'Oh, that guy looks like me and has a similar culture to mine.'
We've got to celebrate all diverse artists and actors and 'Aladdin' does that really well.
I've always envisioned working with the best directors in the world.
Christoph Waltz, you know, blew up in Hollywood at a very old age. He won two Oscars back-to-back so I thought, 'You know what? Even if it happens when I'm 50, that's fine.' You know, I'll always keep going, always keep trying.
We don't tell Canadian stories enough.
I can't change what casting directors do or what producers do. I can only change what I do.
